Neon Genesis Madoka Magica
by The Game Enforcer
Summary: This is the story of NERV, of the Angels, and of a girl named Madoka and her friends. But something is amiss, the committee is in chaos, the Angels are coming at the wrong times, and Shinji and Homura may be the only ones who can make things right. V2.0
1. Chapter 00: VISION OF THE END

**-VISION-**

Madoka Kaname ran through twisted corridors of checkered black and white, like a tiny fairy trapped in M.C. Escher's strangest nightmares. The sounds of a distant battle raged far away seemingly just out of reach from within the bizarre hallway. Another time, the girl would have been terrified of the sheer wrongness of the world around her, but the only thing she knew then was that she had to reach the end of the tunnel.

At last she reached a large round room. An exit sign above a set of stairs beckoned to her, its neon green glow contrasting with the monochrome and promising an end to the infinite labyrinth. The girl walked slowly up the stairs, afraid… no, terrified of what she would find on the other side. She pushed on, opening up the heavy door that barred her way.

Through that door was the end of the world. A once proud city, seemingly blown apart and then frozen in place. Buildings hung, in silent mockery of Newton's hubris.

_**What are HUMANS to decide how the world should work? What are the pitiful laws of physics to the might of a GOD?**_

Above it all, the monster that had caused the destruction floated serenely, a monstrous mockery of humanity's foolish pride. Lightning flashed across the sky as a dark haired girl flew high above, her attacks bouncing futilely off the destructive monstrosity. The cosmic horror let loose in a flurry of powerful light, and the black haired girl skillfully dodged each curving beam, blocking the last with the shield attached to her arm.

"This is awful!" cried Madoka, staring at the destroyed cityscape helpless to assist the dark haired girl in the sky.

"There's nothing she can do, it's too much for her to handle." Madoka turned. Standing among the girders that must have at one point supported a structure of some kind, sitting on a steel beam bent crookedly away from the rest, was a small animal. It spoke again, its voice innocent and unbiased. "She probably has a plan, but it won't work. This foe is just too powerful."

Two buildings flew toward the girl in the sky. She dodged, but a shard of steel pierced her shoulder and threw her through a window into a now vacant office. She lay at the edge of a hole in the far side of the building, blood slowly trickling from a cut over her eye, and for the first time spotted Madoka, staring up at her. Her eyes widened in horror.

"No… not again…"

She screamed out to Madoka to run, but the pitiful sound did not carry far enough.

The small animal turned to Madoka once more. "However, it's only truly over once you give up."

She turned back towards it, and it spoke again, without any emotion save for the slightest hint of eagerness. "But you can change your destiny." Madoka stared into the twin pinkish-red abysses that were the creature's eyes. "The destruction and grief are not set in stone; you just need the will to change it all. You possess the power to do it!"

Madoka was terrified, and her face showed her uncertainty. Could she really stop this? Could she really save that girl who was fighting so hard? "…really?" was all she could manage to say.

A beam of brilliant light arced high, and the girl high above was hit again. She fell, still screaming for Madoka to run, from both the horror in the sky, and the one right beside her.

"Could someone like me really make a difference? Can I really stop all of this?" Madoka asked as she watched the other girl fall.

The monster in the sky began to glow, a ball of fire forming at its apex.

"Of course!" was the tiny creature's reply. The shine from the massive weapon glinted off its bright red eyes. "If you want to change this future, make the choice. Make a contract with me, become a Puella Magi and save this world!"

And in that very instant, it was over. Madoka Kaname woke up from her strange nightmare.

**-NOW THE FIGHT TRULY BEGINS-**


	2. Chapter 01: A NORMAL DAY

**-HE SPEAKS-**

There is a man standing on a stage. A lazy piano plays out a tired old jazz song behind him as a small audience begins to form, slowly settling into the tiny establishment. The man grins. His audience is not very large, but it will grow soon enough. That was the way things almost always worked. After all, if a performance was interesting enough, word soon traveled. He gently caresses his microphone, and then begins speaking.

"Welcome, my dear friends.

"The stage is set. Madoka Kaname awakes to her first dream. Only time will tell her the true nature of her nighttime visions. Elsewhere, plans are already in motion that will shape this unknowing world into something new, something of untold terror and limitless wonder.

"This is the Story of the beginning of the most important war that mankind will ever fight. This war will decide if Humanity stands strong against the uncaring winds of time, or if it will fall like the statue of Ozymandias, given an unmarked grave on a tiny ball of dirt orbiting an unremarkable star.

"So, let us begin the Story, and place the hands of this struggling world in the shaking hands of its valiant children."

**-BEGIN-**

"Second Impact occurred twenty five years ago, in the year 2000. A small asteroid, moving at a sizeable fraction of the speed of light, evaded detection until it hit the Earth near the south pole, completely eradicating the entire continent of Antarctica and causing seismic disturbances that rocked the oceans for months, killing most of the people living in the southern hemisphere. The ocean levels also rose as vaporized ice rained down across the globe, further flooding coastal cities and moving the shorelines significantly farther inland.

"Soon, refugee conflicts broke out between India and Pakistan, which led to a nuclear conflict. Only making matters worse, China and the United States blamed each other for the disaster, each claiming the other was performing secret weapons tests on Antarctica. The conflicts soon escalated, drawing in the European Union and a large number of North African and Middle Eastern nations as well. Eventually, the Valentine Treaty of 2007 ended the fighting, but not before more than one half of the remaining worldwide population was killed. This became known as the Post- Impact War. And Sayaka Ikari and Madoka Kaname had better have taken notes, because I'm not repeating what I just said."

The two girls looked up from their conversation as an awkward silence descended over the classroom.

Sayaka Ikari, fourteen year old student and resident troublemaker, glanced around at her classmates, all of whom silently refused to offer any help. She grinned. "Oops. Sorry, Ms. Saotome, it won't happen again."

"Good!" Kazuko Saotomoe, homeroom teacher, stood up straight with a huff. "I'm glad you'll be actually paying attention to my lessons from now on."

"Still," Sayaka said. "I think just about everybody knows about Second Impact, so what's the point of teaching us about it?"

"Because it is the largest disaster that has ever occurred! More people died in Second Impact than in both World Wars combined, plus the holocaust! We must not forget it, lest we forget how close we came to annihilation."

There was an uncomfortable murmur cycling through the classroom now. None of the students were young enough to have witnessed Second Impact or the Post-Impact War. However, every single father and mother alive was a veteran of one or both. All of them had heard the stories; the hundred foot waves, the fiery "wings" consisting of superheated debris thrown out into the atmosphere, the nuclear hellfire that rained on Old Tokyo, the list of horrors went on and on.

"But we also mustn't forget that we're still here thanks to the efforts of our forefathers!" Kazuko continued. "We still live, even if the seasons have changed. That's why we must not allow ourselves to grow complacent and die out. We must fight our way through the aftermath of Second Impact! So learn! Raise families! You are the generation who has to prove that it'll take more than a tiny rock to take the Human Race out of the fight!"

Kazuko actually got a scattered bit of applause, much to her own surprise. She recovered her composure quickly, smiling as she adjusted her glasses. "That's right! So you shouldn't let something as simple as how your eggs are cooked decide whether or not you want to keep dating someone!"

The clapping faded away as confusion set in. Keiichi Nakazawa, hapless student, raised his hand. "Teacher… what?"

"You should not let the way a woman cooks eggs determine whether the two of you are meant for each other!" Kazuko said. "It doesn't matter in the slightest, right Nakazawa?"

"Uh… I suppose..?" replied Keiichi, taken aback by the ferocity of the teacher's reply. He probably should have kept his mouth shut; there was already speculation that Miss Saotome's mysterious boyfriend was _him,_ although where such rumors came from he could only guess.

"That's right!" Kazuko nodded indignantly. "And don't forget it, any of you!" With that, Kazuko Saotome was once again back to being a teacher. "Now, students, allow me to introduce you to a new transfer student! Please come in, Akemi!"

"Wait a second…" Sayaka said. "You had a transfer student to introduce and you decided to do half the lesson first? For that matter, this is a math class, not a history class…" Ms. Saotome completely ignored her, which struck Madoka Kaname as slightly odd. Sayaka _did_ have a valid point…

The door opened, and Madoka watched as a girl walked in. The very girl who had been the subject of Madoka's dream the night before. The illogicality of Kazuko's teaching plan seemed to stop mattering. Scattered gasps traveled through the class. The girl was tall, dark, and beautiful, but where she walked it seemed as if she left a trail of ice cold indifference behind her. Her almost black (but to close inspection extremely dark purple) hung past her hips, perfect and straight. Everything about her seemed perfect, almost calculated. The boys in the class instantly had a new object for their love letters and fantasies, (which suited Hitomi Shizuki, "most-desirable-girl-in-class," just fine) and a good percentage of the girls found themselves questioning their alignments.

None however, were more surprised than Madoka. "No way…" she breathed. "It's… her?"

Sayaka noticed her friend's confusion. "Hey, what's wrong Madoka?"

"It's just that…" Madoka fought for words. "I don't know how to say this… but I think I've seen her before."

"Please write your name for the class, Akemi." Kazuko held out the chalk to the new student, who wrote out her name. 暁美 ほむら (Homura Akemi). Madoka knew that name. She couldn't place it, but she knew that she had heard it before. Sayaka was trying to get her attention, but Madoka was fixated on Homura as the class began to clap for her. Then, Homura looked right into Madoka's eyes.

Madoka shivered. Homura Akemi's gaze was cold, harsh… but there was something else, a sort of suppressed sadness_._ Madoka knew there must be a reason for it, but Homura's eyes betrayed so very little, just an eerie impression of hidden depths into which you could sink and never return.

Homura's gaze turned away, and without a single word to the class, she sat down and the lesson began anew.

**-SEQUENCE ENGAGE-**

Homura was a genius It was immediately obvious when she started performing equations that stumped her instructors. In her head. She actually had to be asked to write out the mathematics so the rest of the class could follow her. Her status as a prodigy was only made more apparent when she started breaking academic records without apparently even trying. And yet, all through the day, Madoka and Homura watched each other.

It wasn't until lunch period that Homura and Madoka finally spoke.

Sayaka, Madoka, and the aforementioned Hitomi, their friend, were having a conversation regarding a certain letter received by the latter.

"So, do you know who sent it?" Sayaka said, eyes narrowed in untrustworthy glee.

"No, there was no name on it," Hitomi replied. "I don't know who it's from."

Sayaka sighed. "Really… well, you told your mom about it, right Madoka?"

Madoka sighed. "Yeah, she said not to consider boys who can't man up and meet you face to face."

Sayaka nodded. "Wise words from the great Junko Kaname herself."

Junko Kaname was renowned for her seemingly infinite insights into the troublesome existence of the teenage girl, at least to Madoka and her closest friends. Still, to Madoka, where her mother had lived before the move to Tokyo-3, how she and Tomohisa, Madoka's father, had met, and what her mother actually did for a living were all completely unknown to her. She supposed it had just never come up, but lately curiosity had been tugging at her thoughts.

Sayaka had grown quiet, and seemed to be deeply thinking about something. "I wonder… Madoka, you said before that you knew Akemi. Do you remember where from?"

"I don't know exactly. This is going to sound crazy, but-"

She was cut off by the sudden approach of the very subject of the conversation. Homura Akemi stared down at Madoka, her eyes cold and impassive. "Madoka Kaname, you are the class medical representative." It was a statement, not a question.

Madoka was taken aback. "Yes, but how did you-"

"Ms. Saotome told me."

"Ah, well what do-"

"I am not feeling well; please show me to the nurse's office." An order, not a request.

Madoka shivered again. If Homura seemed cold at a distance, then the space around her was absolute zero. Almost as if the laws of thermodynamics decided that trying to warm up Homura Akemi was too much trouble.

Regardless, Madoka was in fact the medical representative. She nodded, and led Homura out the door.

Immediately, Homura passed Madoka. "You need to turn-" Madoka started, but Homura was already rounding the appropriate corner. More nervous than ever, Madoka smiled unconvincingly. "That's funny, it seems like you already… know where it is..."

Homura didn't respond, merely continuing down the deserted hallway.

**-AWAKE, ANGELS-**

Sachiel awoke. Although, perhaps it was not so much an awakening as a birth. He knew who he was. He knew what he was. Yet, these physical sensations, having a physical form that responded to his commands… this was _new_.

Regardless, he knew what his directive was to be. He could feel the signal calling to him. It was muted, indistinct, but he recognized it. Adam, the Father, God, the Progenitor. He had to seek it out. The others agreed, and they deliberated over who should be the one to go. Ramiel was insistent that they not be too hasty. After all, they had just been born into this world, and they did not know what lay between them and Adam. Certainly, this was not how it should have been. They _should _have been born with Adam by their sides.

If Sachiel had a nose, he would have snorted in disgust. Ramiel was too cautious, always with his reasoning and his logic. Sachiel had only known him for moments and yet he already disliked his brother.

Shamshel, however, shared his sentiments. She argued that they must seek out Adam and discover what had transpired to upset the natural path. Sachiel rather liked his sister. She was impulsive, but she seemed to genuinely care about the rest of them. She also agreed that Adam must be recovered quickly. After all, it wouldn't do to leave him to this unintentional sleep any longer.

Strange though, that they had been asleep at all. It must have had to do with the second seed.

Yes, Sachiel recalled it now. Fire and smoke, they had reigned over this world for a time, but the other seed had landed and forced them from their thrones. Strange indeed, and why exactly had the second seed fallen on their world?

Perhaps Sachiel was overthinking this. Leave Ramiel to do the calculations and rationalizations. Sachiel was an Angel who valued action.

And action he would take.

**-CONFLICTING DATA-**

Madoka glanced about as Homura led her down the hallway. They were in a part of the building that was no longer in use, not since Second Impact had removed the need for such a large educational facility. Now, this section of the building was consigned to house that which could no longer be used by the rest of the school. Desks, textbooks, even a few old computers could be found tucked away in the empty classrooms.

They had long since passed the nurse's office, but Homura had ignored Madoka's objections, and had grabbed her hand when Madoka tried to turn away. Homura's iron grip was unnerving, not what one would expect of a quiet–if forceful–high school girl. Madoka was beginning to fear for her safety, when Homura finally led her to a room from which a light cast into the hallway.

Inside… Madoka's apprehension was greeted by four people she had never seen before.

They were all about twenty years old. The first, a woman with an extremely well toned physique, long auburn hair cascading down her back, and a pair of very deep blue eyes (Madoka even subconsciously started referring to her as "Blue Eyes") looked Madoka in the eye. "_That's_ her? _Really?_"

The second, a thin, plain, fragile looking man with short black hair and just a trace of a beard ("Plain Man") sized her up as well. "She's not all that impressive looking, Akemi. It's really her?"

Homura's face showed little emotion normally, but Madoka could see something flicker in her eyes; just the slightest flame of anger. "I assure you, this _is_ Madoka Kaname."

"Okay, seriously," spoke the third, an athletic man whose rugged features conveyed a state of irritated boredom. ("Angry Eyes") "This is just fuckin' creepy, guys. Just look at her face, we've scared the shit out of her!"

Madoka would have agreed with that statement, and was about to voice a protest when her eyes locked onto the fourth and final person in the room. She was thin and frail, with unnaturally pale skin, hair the color of ice, and eyes as red as blood.

Something about her was so very familiar. Madoka felt a chill roll up her spine. The eyes… Madoka found herself trapped in those eyes. She saw them widen in fear, and realized that someone was screaming.

She realized it was her.

Homura had released her hand, but she couldn't look away, she couldn't move. She could only stare into those eyes and scream. A stabbing pain in her head did nothing to alleviate the terror that rocked through every fiber of her body. She was vaguely aware of the fact that she was on the ground, that her eyelids were closed, but she could still see those eyes.

She was vaguely aware of some sort of commotion happened around her. Then, Madoka found herself being carried Sayaka and Hitomi. She just barely registered that Homura, her nose bleeding profusely, was watching them at the end of the hall before she blacked out.

**-EVACUATE-**

Sayaka had decided to follow Madoka and Homura on a whim. Something about Homura's demeanor just unsettled her. She prided herself on her extreme otaku tendencies, and Homura fit uncannily into the role of Fate Testarossa, the "dark magical girl" to Nanoha's (perhaps Madoka's?) "light magical girl."

It was silly and she knew it. Still, the idea took root too fast for common sense to catch up, and curiosity was tugging her toward the mysterious transfer student anyway. So, she pulled Hitomi away from her meal and followed Madoka and Homura.

Sayaka didn't really see any problems until they passed the nurse's office. She became genuinely worried when Homura grabbed Madoka's hand.

But it wasn't until Homura walked Madoka into a meeting with four strange (and somewhat disreputable looking) adults that Sayaka decided to get Madoka out of whatever Homura was trying to pull her into.

Hushing Hitomi's concerned protests, Sayaka found two emergency fire extinguishers. She recalled seeing a scene in a show once where a fire extinguisher was used in a hasty rescue attempt. If it worked there, why not here?

_That_ was probably one of the dumbest things Sayaka had ever thought. She realized this, and promptly gave the offending cluster of brain cells a metaphorical slap. Still, there was no reason it _shouldn't _work, so she decided the plan was worth a shot.

Sayaka was trying to convince Hitomi that Madoka could be in serious danger, when Madoka started screaming. The two charged in and hosed down the startled occupants of the room. Sayaka realized that one of the adults was screaming too, and that both she and Madoka were lying on the floor. While the others were still distracted, Sayaka and Hitomi grabbed Madoka and lifted her between them.

It was then that Homura Akemi made a mistake; she tried to stop Sayaka Ikari.

Sayaka didn't know exactly why Homura had brought Madoka here. She didn't know what had happened that hurt Madoka enough to make her scream like she was. She just knew that Homura was involved, and that she was trying to block the door. And that a closed fist punch to the nose was very painful. Homura reeled from the blow, and her composure broke. The look on her face was one of complete shock as she stumbled back into the corridor, a steady flow of blood running down her face. By the time she had recovered her emotionless mask, the three girls had made it a good way down the hall.

They were lucky they weren't followed.

**-PREPARE-**

Misato Katsuragi sat in her car outside Sayaka's high school. It was a lovely day, with a pleasant breeze blowing through to mitigate the high Post-Impact temperature. That was probably the only reason Misato hadn't simply decided to ignore her orders and grab Sayaka out of her class.

She'd been ordered to retrieve Sayaka after she was let out, and then proceed directly to NERV HQ. Of course, the timing of this order had been just slightly inconvenient. After all, she was ordered out quite early in the morning, and thus had been waiting four hours for Sayaka to get out of school.

Granted, to sit outside the school the entire time would have been a waste, so she did her grocery shopping in the interim. Then she amused herself by playing Tetris on her phone for about an hour. Once that got old, she started contemplating how much she _hated_ Sayaka's father.

Gendo Ikari had many, many who despised him. Among them were a number of clandestine organizations, at least three UN member government leaders, and most of the staff working for him. That included Misato Katsuragi. Of course, the man just projected an _aura_ that made people distrust/hate him. But even without that, he was the one who probably gave the order to wait outside for so long.

She was debating what to do next to pass the time when she heard the first evacuation siren go off.

It was too early. This wasn't supposed to happen until the evening. Misato swore loudly and slammed her hand against the horn. The students were beginning to stream out of the school doors. She tried to pick out Sayaka against the swarm, but blue hair had become surprisingly common following Second Impact. She finally spotted her, coming out of a side entrance. Misato blinked in surprise. Sayaka and another girl, who Misato vaguely recognized as Sayaka's friend from her personnel file, were carrying an unconscious girl that Misato recognized. That was Junko's daughter, Madoka, wasn't it? It had been a long time since Misato had encountered the Kaname family, and back then it had been Madoka's father, Tomohisa, doing the carrying.

She shook off the vague feeling of nostalgia. She needed to get Sayaka to NERV. Her annoyance with the mission in question was only superficial; she knew just how important that girl was going to be.

Then, the Angel arrived.

**-RUN-**

Sayaka heard the evacuation sirens. She didn't know what they foretold any better than the few hundred students who stood up from their classes and began moving to the subterranean bunkers that every citizen of Tokyo-3 knew existed. It was just one of many oddities surrounding the hyper-technological city that they made their home.

Sayaka and Hitomi still had Madoka in their arms. She wasn't hurt, as far as Sayaka could tell, but she wasn't waking up either. Sayaka directed Hitomi to an emergency exit. She momentarily wondered if Akemi and her companions were involved in the evacuation, but she didn't have long to think.

The students, to their credit, were proceeding in an orderly fashion. The teachers shepherded any stragglers along as they left the building. Then the thing came out from behind the hill.

It was humanoid, two arms, two legs, a body, and a white mask with holes that suggested two eyes. That was where its humanity ended. It's skin was black as pitch, except where bone white armor sprouted through. The aforementioned mask was positioned where a human being's sternum would have been. There was no head. Finally, centered on its belly was a large, blood colored sphere that glowed faintly as the giant marched across the city on legs that were far too thin to support it size.

There were aircraft hovering all around it, military VTOL gunships, actually. Sayaka recognized them; she didn't know their names, but they were supposed to be the most heavily armed (not to mention expensive) aircraft in the entire Japan Strategic Self Defense Force arsenal, which was saying something.

The gunships fired, and every single missile hit the target… or at least they should have. Instead, they met an orange transparent octagon that appeared in front of them. Then the giant started swatting the gunships out of the sky.

The first crashed into a skyscraper deeper within the city. Glass began to rain down from shattered windows, and smoke billowed out. The structure remained standing, however.

The next gunship spun, its engine trailing smoke from where the giant's finger had smashed into it. It hit the ground, rolled, and bounced as the engine pod snapped off. Sayaka was vaguely aware of screams, and she saw the students and teachers scatter. The gunship descended towards them, trailing fire and smoke.

And then it stopped. The shattered aircraft crumpled against the air two meters above the students' heads. A transparent yellow circle was briefly visible supporting it, and then the VTOL's crushed remains reversed their direction, rising away and crashing into an empty patch of grass in front of the school.

Sayaka could see the shelter entrance from the school lawn. Most of her classmates were already inside. If she and Hitomi could carry Madoka over there, then there should be a doctor inside who could take care of her…

A giant robotic foot crashed into the ground in front of them. Sayaka looked up and saw, yes, a giant robotic leg, connected to a giant robotic torso, with a pair of giant robotic arms and a giant robotic rifle. (Well, the rifle wasn't robotic, but the wording fit the theme.) Yes, that was what she thought it was. She shook her head, trying to clear the giddy haze from her brain, which was helpfully supplying a mental remix of "Sorairo Days" from _Gurren_ _Lagann_.

Sayaka blinked. Still there, as was the giant monster. The mecha raised its rifle and started firing. Sayaka realized that it didn't actually have a head, although those were definitely fingers on its hand. A flurry of missiles fired from a pod on its shoulder, and the giant turned towards it.

That was when the car swerved around the mecha's foot. It was a blue car, Sayaka vaguely realized, and it was heading straight towards her.

The car swerved again, coming to a stop less than a meter from where Sayaka and Hitomi were standing. A window rolled down, and a woman's smiling face emerged. "Hello there!" she greeted the startled students. "Sayaka Ikari, I presume?"

Sayaka nodded. She gripped Madoka tightly. "And who are you?"

"My name is Misato Katsuragi," the woman replied, "and I'm here to pick you up."

An explosion broke up the conversation. The giant had reached the schoolyard, and had just grappled with the much smaller robot. Actually, the fight had consisted of the Angel trying to stomp on the knee-high non-threat, the robot blocking with its rifle, and holding in that position for a few seconds before an escape pod ejected from the robot's back and the Angel's thin foot cleaved the entire machine in half.

When Sayaka turned back, Misato Katsuragi was no longer smiling. "I'll make this as simple as I can; come with me if you want to live."

Sayaka normally would have had no argument, but this was not a time for "normally". "My friends come with me. Otherwise, you can just leave me here."

"Fair enough," Misato said. "The car's a two-seater though; it'll be a bit cramped."

"I don't think cramped is going to bother us at this point" Sayaka replied.

As if to emphasize that final point, the Angel roared.


	3. Chapter 02: FIRST CONTACT

**-CURTAIN-**

"Are you entertained, my friends?" The man asks. "This is the show I have been promising, after all. A grand culmination of all the efforts of countless individuals lost in the infinite stream of time.

"Yet, in some ways it is nothing. In the grand scheme this tiny chapter of history on this meaningless blue planet in this insignificant whirling galaxy in this gigantic, ever expanding universe is nothing but a pinprick. Whether it will become more than that - a beacon of hope perhaps, or a festering wound in the fabric of the cosmos - only time will tell."

The man sighs as the curtain begins to rise behind him. He starts to walk offstage. "But I drag on. You came here for a show, my dear friends, and a show you shall receive."

**-ENTER COMBAT-**

The JSSDF was losing.

It was readily apparent that the missiles, bombs, bullets, shells, and even occasional giant robot punches weren't slowing the Angel down, or even _distracting_ it. In fact, the only weapon that seemed to be even drawing the Angel's attention was a teenage girl that NERV had deployed as their only functional asset. This final fact was greatly wounding the pride of every single JSSDF soldier and commander, especially those who could see the smugness radiating off of Gendo Ikari. His face was practically saying "I told you so," but of course the Commander of NERV was more tactful than that. Instead, he simply hid a tiny smirk behind his steepled hands, remaining silent as the battle raged.

Miles away from the NERV Headquarters from which the battle was being orchestrated, Mami Tomoe danced across the sky on flaming legs, unleashing a deadly rain of plasma fire upon the Angel that strode through the city below her.

She had been coordinating with the JSSDF, but it seemed they'd just been ordered to retreat. It was probably for the best; they were just losing soldiers out there.

Most of the shots hit their marks, but the Angel remained unaffected. It seemed that to actually damage the Angel, Mami would have to figure out a way to get through its AT field.

That meant getting in close.

Mami knew her strengths. She was effectively the first "Shito Kira" (the English and German speaking parts of NERV translated the title as "Angel Slayer" and "Engelstöter," respectively) but that didn't give her any particular advantage aside from extra training, and that would even out eventually. What _did_ give her a significant advantage was the fact that her body was nearly indestructible. A bullet would flatten against her skin, and her bones were harder than diamond without the brittleness. Obviously, she could take a few hits before she was going to be in any real trouble, but she would rather not have that tested.

Her other advantages came not directly from her transformation into a Shito Kira, but from her equipment. The standard skintight plugsuit added little to her mobility, but the numerous vectored thrusters positioned along her arms, legs, and body were the reason she could fly like she did. Her favored method of movement was to fire her jets in bursts, launching her in one direction long enough for her to take a shot before she fired them again and changed course, remaining chaotic in her flight patterns so as to throw off any attempts at interception. She had honed this technique over two months of non-stop training, which had almost literally been _non-stop_, since as a Shito Kira–even a teenaged one–she no longer needed to sleep more than three hours a day.

Then of course came the actual weapons: two small arm mounted plasma projectors. They weren't innately all that powerful, although a single shot would burn through clothing and leave a very nasty third degree burn. Still, normally they would have done nothing to the forty-meter tall Angel that was currently attacking Tokyo-3, but that was where the final component of Mami's loadout came in.

The SG-Engine was a small yellow gem that blended in with Mami's hair almost perfectly. In fact, if you didn't realize that it was glowing you might assume it was just a hair ornament. But if a person were to inspect it they would discover that the SG-Engine was embedded quite firmly in Mami Tomoe's skull just above her right eye. What the SG-Engine–or "Gem" as they were colloquially known–actually did was quite simple; they provided a stream of perpetually generated energy from essentially nowhere.

How did it work? NERV didn't know. Not for lack of trying, of course, but nevertheless they had no idea how the SG-Engines managed to generate so much energy. Nor did they know why when a device was connected to an SG-Engine it would suddenly operate at several times its normal level. What this meant varied; thrusters that would barely shift a two-by-four would be able to propel a human being through the air at high levels of acceleration without harming her, a simple holographic eyepiece would be able to magnify a scene hundreds of times at a resolution that was more than the normal Human eye could actually perceive, a blade that was designed to vibrate would increase its frequency to the extent that it could no longer be measured.

And Mami's plasma cannons… well, they were powerful enough to turn a tank into a molten pile of slag. So it logically followed that if she could get past that damnable AT Field, her guns would reduce the Angel to a non-threat in short order.

Thrusters firing at her mental command, Mami descended. She swooped down to street level, her eyes darting about as she skimmed the pavement, the toe of her boot leaving a tiny gash in the street where it just grazed the asphalt. There didn't seem to be any people outside. It made sense, especially if they went straight to the shelters. Still the alarm had come so late that she thought some people wouldn't have made it inside yet. She supposed terror could be a powerful motivator.

But there was one car driving down the road in front of her. She recognized it and slowed to a stop by digging her heels into the road, leaving a pair of ten meter scars. The car, in turn, slowed to a stop next to her. The window rolled down, and Misato Katsuragi's smiling face appeared in the window. "Hello there, Mami!"

"Hello, Miss Katsuragi," Mami replied, smiling. "You have Miss Ikari then?"

"Right here," Misato indicated the seat next to her, which, strangely enough, contained three people. There was one girl with pink hair who appeared to be asleep, sitting on the combined laps of two other girls, a blue haired one that Mami recognized as Sayaka from the pictures she'd seen, and another green haired girl she didn't know. They had somehow compressed themselves side-by-side into the one seat.

Mami smiled. _Miss Katsuragi, you picked up a couple of refugees, didn't you?_ What she said was, "nice to meet you, Miss Ikari. My name is Mami Tomoe, and soon I will be your comrade in arms. I suppose you could address me as 'Sempai,' or just Mami, if you prefer."

"Uh…" Sayaka was clearly surprised, although Mami supposed that made sense given the nature of their meeting.

"Do not let me keep you, Miss Katsuragi," she said. "You should probably keep moving, the Angel is-" an almost perfectly timed explosion cut her off- "still advancing."

"Thanks for the reminder," Misato said sarcastically.

"Wait, aren't you going to leave too?" Sayaka spoke up, recovering from her surprise.

"Oh no, you see…" Mami's gunbarrels extended dramatically from her gauntlets, "I'm the one who's going to kill the Angel."

And with that as her final word, she launched herself into the air, bringing her guns to bear on the Angel that was nonchalantly striding towards the heart of the most well defended city the Earth had ever held: Mami Tomoe's Tokyo-3.

**-RECOVER-**

"WELL THAT WAS JUST FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC WASN'T IT?" screamed Toji Suzuhara.

Asuka Langley Soryu, still cleaning fire retardant foam out of her hair, groaned. "Yes, thank you Touji, none of us _realized_ that was a colossal failure, thank you for so kindly pointing it out."

Meanwhile, Shinji Ikari was busy lifting Homura by the collar of her school uniform. "WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" he screamed at her. "WHAT THE HELL DID THAT GIRL JUST DO TO REI?"

"I'm… alright…" Rei Ayanami stood up slowly, gripping a desk for support. Asuka rushed to steady her as Shinji gained control of himself and put Homura down.

Homura smoothed out her uniform, apparently unconcerned. "I do not know, but judging by what just happened I would hypothesize that the reaction was mutual. Madoka Kaname suffered the same symptoms."

"Yeah, well I guess we shouldn't leave them in the same room together then," Touji Suzuhara remarked, turning his attention to Shinji. "And you; aren't you going to apologize for attacking Akemi like that? _She_ didn't do anything."

Shinji looked uncomfortable. "I'm… sorry about that Akemi." He noticed the blood coming from her nose. "Are you alright? That girl hit you pretty hard."

Homura shook her head. She wiped the blood from her face with her sleeve, and brushed a finger over her nose. A tiny spark flashed from within, and the blood flow stopped. "I am unharmed, and your conduct was understandable. If our positions had been reversed and I had reason to believe that you had intentionally caused Madoka Kaname physical pain, I would have done far worse to you."

Shinji stepped back a few paces. "Wait, really?"

"If you attempted to harm her," Akemi reiterated in monotone, "I would kill you before you could blink."

"And you, Akemi, you're just as nuts as the rest of us," Touji said chuckling. "I kinda keep forgetting that YOU'VE actually seen the end of the world more times than WE have!"

"'Insanity' indicates unruly, undirected chaos," Akemi said. "I would prefer that if you must stoop to derogatories you would at least use 'obsessed.'"

"You WANT me to call you obsessed?" Touji asked, genuinely surprised. "That's pretty fucking weird."

"I have studied my own condition much over the years I have been repeating my ordeal, and yes, I would say that I have become obsessed with Madoka Kaname. I do not deny it, and accept it as a simple part of my existence."

"That's awfully cold, Akemi," Asuka said. "You figured that much out about yourself and you don't even _try_ to change it?"

"I welcome it. This obsession has been the only thing that has kept me alive. If I were to give it up, then my past endeavors would have all been for naught."

"But you said it yourself when you explained your situation," Shinji said. "The… 'Witches' you talked about don't exist anymore; wasn't that your goal?"

"Shinji, I think you know why she can't give up just yet," Asuka said.

"Yeah well…" Shinji started.

"It is because none of us have _won_," Rei spoke suddenly, shrugging off Asuka's support as she stood. "We seemed to have our ideal endings, but they were not taken by our own hands. They were given, and we had reason to believe they were not given for free."

"Yeah, well this is a wonderful realization," Touji interjected, "but I think we should probably get out of here before-"

A VTOL gunship chose that precise second to crash through the roof.

After a moment spent covering his head with his hands in a futile attempt to protect himself, Shinji realized that the crashing and crumbling sounds had died down and that despite the awesome sight of the aircraft coming through the roof towards him he was still somehow _alive_. Then he looked up.

It was… terrifying. The gunship had been _crushed_, it looked like what happened when a person put their face against a pane of glass, but the twisted metal, the shattered glass, and the bloodied remains of an arm hanging from the cockpit destroyed any illusion of something so comically trivial. He belatedly realized that Homura had her hand outstretched, palm towards the destroyed machine. Shinji's eyes moved away from the gunship, and he saw the octagonal edges, not the familiar orange or red which he had so often seen before, but a dull violet. An AT Field. The Field slowly lifted the gunship away from the classroom. Then it gave a little push, and the gunship crashed through the roof a few classrooms over and exploded.

Asuka raised a hand, "I agree with Touji."

**-ENGAGE ANGEL-**

Mami's AT Field met the Angel's. The two fields locked as Mami's adjusted to match the Angel's field, canceling it out. She grinned, _this is going to be easier than I thought._ She took aim at the Angel's core with both her guns… and dodged as the Angel tried to swat her away.

Alright, fair enough. She couldn't expect it to just give up without a fight. The Angel's AT Field came up again, so she swooped in close and matched frequencies again. The field obligingly dropped, and Mami brought her guns to bear, this time pulling back and circling the Angel from out of arm's reach.

At least, it should have been out of arm's reach. The Angel responded to this by extending its arm to several times its normal length, and reaching out to grab Mami. She calmly dodged, and fired a ball of plasma into the Angel's palm, exploding it into a shower of bloody chunks.

The plasma cannons would work against the Angel. This was good news. Even so, the damaged hand began to reform, flesh flowing down the Angel's arm and coalescing along extending bone fingers. Mami decided that it would be a waste of time to target the body, but she just had to make one good shot to the Angel's core and this fight would be over.

The problem was that now the Angel had its hands up, looking like a man trying to clap a mosquito. And any time Mami got close it tried to do just that.

Mami's solution was to blow apart the Angel's hands. With a shot from each arm, she blew them off the Angel's arms, and before they could regenerate, she shot forward, bringing her AT field up to interlace with the Angel's. The fields went down, Mami raised her guns…

Unfortunately, the Angel's hands regenerated faster than Mami had expected. She was aware of a whooshing sound and a sudden impact, and the Angel had her.

She tried to fire one of her guns, but the holo-display over her eye informed her that her SG-Engine's output was being drained rapidly. Her current stored up power was at 21% and only climbing by .1% every second. Her guns required 24% each. If she fired again she might overtax her SG-Engine's ability to provide energy, and if that little number ever hit zero...

Well, no one actually knew what happened when an SG-Engine faded out, but Mami didn't want to be the first person to experience it.

**-ANALYSIS-**

Sachiel inspected the tiny creature trapped in his hands. It was so very tiny and more fragile than he had imagined life could ever be. Yet, it held nearly as much power as him within that tiny, fragile shell. Odder still, it seemed that while it was most definitely _alive,_ it was not a child of Adam. It must have come from the other Seed. What _had_ that Seed been?

This thing had attacked Sachiel, and it had broken his Shield. It was strong and knew how to hurt him, and it had deliberately done so. It was an actual threat, unlike the other things. Should he crush it? It would be easy; he had it in his hands even, he could burn it to ash.

And then Sachiel felt the Other.

Where the thing in his hands was a strong opponent, the Other seemed to be wielding the power of a god. Sachiel felt for it and recoiled in horror. It made Gaghiel, Bardiel, Leliel, and Ireul look miniscule. It dwarfed Sachiel himself, as it did Shamshel and Israfel. It surpassed Ramiel, Sahaquiel, and Materiel, and it easily matched Arael, Arimasael, and Sandalphon. It was still nowhere near the level of power held by Zeruel, but that was but a small comfort. The Angels all held the power to destroy mountains with a thought, to break the laws of physics on a whim... and they were all _terrified _of their brother Zeruel.

Sachiel almost forgot the creature in his hands, the Other was so strong. He had to run; to warn the other Angels of this… _thing's _presence.

But first this creature in his hands had to die.

It had attacked him, after all. It was an enemy. Sachiel pressed in on the creature, and his palms ignited with fire. _YES, BURN TO ASH, PITIFUL CREATURE._

Then the Other flared up.

Sachiel lost what remained of his composure. He rapidly forgot about his current business of barbecuing the creature. Instead, he ran as fast as he could away from the Other and its terrifying powers. He ran up a small hill, and the ground beneath his feet disappeared in a blast of heat and light. There was a final, brief moment of confusion before the N2 blast knocked Sachiel unconscious.

**-LUCK, NOT SKILL-**

Mami Tomoe fell. The last few moments were a blur of pain. Blinding, searing pain. Now, the rush of cold air bit at her skin as she fell towards the ground.

She had dumped all but .4% of her power into that last AT Field. It had failed to stop the attack from the Angel's palm, only lessened the damage to her body.

She had blocked it with her arm as well, raising it in one final effort to protect herself. Her left arm had taken the worst of that attack. She turned her head to see what the attack had done to it, but she couldn't seem to find any wounds.

_Oh,_ she realized, _that's because my arm's completely gone…_

Mami passed out…

**-BOTH-**

…and Homura caught her.

She cradled Mami's form as the rockets strapped to her legs slowed their descent to the broken street below.

It was a lucky thing that she had worn her plugsuit underneath her school uniform, however difficult it had been to conceal. It had clearly proven worth it. Still, Mami Tomoe's life shouldn't be her concern. This was strictly fact-finding, nothing more. She checked Mami's head. There it was, not quite where it had been in the old world, but the Soul Gem–or whatever had replaced it–cast a faint golden glow through Mami's hair. Homura inspected her own chest, where a purple, yet otherwise identical gemstone rested in her sternum, framed by her plugsuit's connection ring. NERV had run a wire up Mami's neck to substitute for the ring, it seemed, but otherwise the system was the same as it had been a year ago.

_So, I can finally confirm that NERV is recruiting the other Puella Magi into their Shito Kira program. Do they know of the old world, or is this just a coincidence? Or... is there something else at work..?_

The hill to which the Angel had run exploded. Homura watched the mushroom shaped explosion forming, and another question came to her mind. _I wonder, why did the Angel start running when I activated my suit?_

**-AWAKENING-**

Misato watched the running Angel with amusement, confusion, and more than a little fear. "What the heck is it... oh crap… oh crap it's running straight towards…"

She whirled to face the three girls in the seat next to her. "Get down! They're going to use an N2 mine!"

The girls complied as best was possible given the limited space, both Sayaka and Hitomi holding onto the still unconscious Madoka. The blast lit up the sky, and then the shockwave hit the car.

It stayed in position for a tenuous second, shuddering against the wind. Then, it rolled twice, and landed, somehow, on its wheels. The shockwave passed, and the car's occupants slowly took stock of their injuries.

No one was hurt badly, miraculously. In fact, the worst injury was a bruise on Sayaka's arm from where it had struck the dashboard.

It was also that flurry of confusion and motion that woke Madoka up. She found herself being held tightly by both Hitomi and Sayaka; a rather unexpected - if not completely unwelcome - sensation. Upon voicing her confusion, she was quickly released. She stepped out of the car to brush off her uniform, which had become unbelievably wrinkled. Then she noticed the mushroom cloud still rising in the distance.

There were a number of ways to respond to such a situation. Even if it was over seventy years after the Hiroshima bombing, the sight of an unexpected mushroom cloud still resonated strongly with the average Japanese citizen. Madoka was shocked, but slowly she turned to the car, specifically to Misato.

"Who… why… what?"

"I'm Misato Katsuragi, you were in my car because an emergency arose while you were unconscious, and that's an N2 explosion, not a nuke."

"Ok." Answers were good, but these were too vague to be useful. "Then who… 'N2'd' the city and why?"

"The JSSDF did, because an Angel was attacking," Misato said cheerfully.

Now that was just plain unhelpful. Madoka knew what the JSSDF was, obviously, but… "What's an Angel and why did it attack the city?"

"If I told you I would have to shoot you. God I _love_ getting to say that, best part of the job by far!"

Madoka snapped. "There's a freaking _MUSHROOM CLOUD_ out there! I demand to know what just happened!"

"And what would you do if I told you, Madoka Kaname?"

This caught Madoka off guard. "What? How do you know my name?"

"Your mom and I happen to be old drinking buddies," Misato said. "That aside, really, what good would it do you to know everything right now?" Misato's smile was beginning to fade.

"Madoka…" Sayaka piped up. "Right now might not be the best time to have this conversation…"

"Sayaka, I just got kidnapped... I think, got a headache because I locked eyes with someone, passed out from said headache, woke up in a complete stranger's car, and witnessed an unexplained mushroom cloud on the horizon," Madoka said, surprised at the intensity of her own words. "I want some answers and I want them soon."

"Alright, alright…" Misato said, rubbing her head. "I'll make you a promise then; you let me get you to a safe area, and I'll answer any questions I have clearance to answer."

Madoka considered this for a moment, she looked over at the mushroom cloud, which was slowly beginning to thin out, and saw what looked like a giant… humanoid silhouette. "Yes. That's fine. Let's go somewhere that makes sense."

Misato chuckled as Madoka opened the door and sat herself down between Sayaka and Hitomi. "If only there was such a place, Kaname."

With a sputter, the battered Renault Alpine's electric engine started, and the car drove back onto the road, on the way to NERV.

**-RESCUE-**

Shinji watched the Third Angel start running with something approaching _awe._ "Did that Angel just _sprint?"_

"I'd heard you once went supersonic in an EVA, but holy shit!" Touji replied, a stupid smile frozen on his face. "That was fucking _awesome_!"

The four were standing on a hill behind the burning school. They had a great view of the Angel's panicky flight, and the ensuing explosion. Speaking of which, the Angel had set a new record for running speed, easily breaking the sound barrier in its mad dash away from… whatever it had been running from. Actually, Shinji thought, maybe that was what they should be considering.

Asuka seemed more concerned that Homura was returning, carrying another girl. "Akemi… who's that?"

Homura wasn't fazed in the slightest. "Mami Tomoe."

"Right, you say that like I should know who she is."

"She is… perhaps you would recognize the title of 'First Child.'"

Shinji glanced from Mami to Rei and back. "Not seeing the similarity, Akemi."

"I mean simply that she is the first effective member of the 'Shito Kira' program, as Ayanami was the first Evangelion Pilot."

"I guess that makes sense, although why my father wouldn't have just used another version of Rei eludes me…" Shinji glanced back to his red eyed friend. "Sorry, but it's the truth."

Rei brushed the comment aside. "I am fully aware of my situation. And yes, it is odd that Commander Ikari did not simply use a duplicate version of me for the Shito Kira system. It seems that events in this world are not as similar as they seemed. Akemi's interactions with NERV are evidence of that."

"Wait a sec," Touji interjected. "That would make you the First Child, wouldn't it, Akemi? What happened, did you get kicked out of the program?"

"In a manner of speaking. I believe that since most of the data used in the Shito Kira program came from me, they refer to me as the 'Zeroth Child.' However, it is also possible that my escape from containment invalidated my claim to that title as well."

"And so, the ragtag band of misfits started out on their fan-fucking-tastic journey to figure out what the fuck–or who the fuck–screwed reality and landed us in this wonderland of not-quite-rights and almost-like-it-was's." Touji said dramatically. "I mean, sure it beat's Ayanami's giant ass severed head staring at me through my hospital window while I'm hooked up to so much machinery that I can't even scream right, but… actually, fuck what I was going to say. If we meet whoever did this, I'm shaking his fucking hand, patting him on the fucking back, and buying him a fuckton of beers."

Shinji sighed. "When _did_ you get so attached to that word, Touji?"

"When a naked floating Hikari sent me into Instrumentality dreamland, probably," Touji replied. "Seriously, it's a wonder I'm still sane after all that shit… fuck that, I'm nuts, lock me up and throw away the key. That what I would do if someone told me they were from the future but also ten years ago and knew that an ancient Jewish psycho cult were going to end the world with the help of a bunch of Angels who are actual giant alien humans… et cetera, et cetera. Seriously, just THINK about how we must sound! I'm shocked that Akemi bought it at all, though I guess she is as crazy–oh right, _obsessed_ was what you preferred–as the rest of us."

"And you're hooked on English profanity specifically because…?" Asuka asked.

Touji shrugged. "Fuck's got a nice ring to it. I like the hard K sound at the end, good for emphasis once you learn to cut it off right. Actually, certain parts of the German language sound pretty good too. Got any tips, Asuka?"

"I'll give you a lesson some time," Asuka said, half seriously. "If only because it's been a long time since I've heard anyone curse in the old language."

"My apologies for interrupting this highly educational and very important discourse," Akemi interjected. "But we need to decide what to do with Tomoe. I intend to drop her off at NERV, if there are no objections."

"Sure, we've already tried to kidnap one of your friends, and that ended up with me getting hosed down with a fire extinguisher," Asuka said, reaching up and stroking her hair. "We should probably avoid abducting people unless it's absolutely necessary."

"I never intended to kidnap Madoka Kaname," Homura said, almost like she was trying to convince herself. "However I do agree that it will most likely prove unnecessary. Now, if you will excuse me, I will be off."

And with that, Homura Akemi casually launched herself into the air.

**-ARRIVAL-**

Sayaka's first thought as the car entered NERV was _holy shit, this place is big._

While this was an accurate summation of NERV HQ, several points in particular seemed to leap out at Sayaka. First, although she had known that there was a 'Geofront' under Tokyo-3, she'd never seen it before, and it really was enormous. Second, there was an elevator designed to carry _cars. _ While it did make sense, and she'd certainly seen things like it before, never before had she seen anything of this scale.

Third, of course, was the fact that the things hanging down from the roof of the Geofront were _skyscrapers._ Skyscrapers were big, that was a given. They were supposed to "scrape the sky," after all. The skyscrapers were dangling from the roof, and the space below them was so large that they looked absolutely tiny.

Misato must have noticed her staring out the window in awe. "Like what you see? This is NERV's secret headquarters. It's been hard to keep it 'secret,' since it's a giant cavern underneath the single most high-tech city on the planet, but we've managed fairly well. You could say that this is the fortress that defends the entire world."

"That's nice," Madoka said, frowning, "but what exactly do you people… _do?_"

"Well, for a start, we're going to deal with the Angel that you saw out there," Misato said. She realized that Madoka had been unconscious for that introduction, and added. "The Angel is that silhouette you saw in the explosion, FYI. Mami should still be dealing with it right now, although I'd guess she broke off when the N2 got called in." At Madoka's wince, she added, "sorry, that was a shock, wasn't it?"

"I had a flashback to watching Barefoot Gen, that's all," Madoka said, shuddering. _Of course,_ she reasoned to herself, _after the Post Impact War the UN ordered the dismantlement of all nuclear arms. Hiroshima _can't_ happen again._

Sayaka was staring out at the GeoFront, stars in her eyes. "A _pyramid?_ That's just overkill, isn't it? Why do you need a pyramid?"

"That's the NERV Command Center, the-" Misato switched to English "Central NERVous System-" back to Japanese "-if you will.

The groans of the car's other occupants told Misato just what they thought of her joke, as the elevator touched down to let them off.

**-OUCH-**

_THAT HURT, _thought Sachiel.

It was a reasonable assessment of the current situation and a fairly good summation of the entire search for Adam thus far. Sachiel checked his status. He was wounded, but not too badly. The Other had disappeared, taking its unearthly levels of power with it. It must have attacked him and assumed him dead. Even something as powerful as that wasn't infallible. Still, it had hidden itself before; he would have to be ready to run or call for help if it came back. He just wasn't strong enough to fight the Other.

But he could still reach Adam. If he could awaken Adam, then Adam could crush the Other in the blink of an eye. Adam was as close to a God as it was possible to be, after all.

Sachiel took stock again. Yes, he was wounded, and it would take time to heal completely. However, if he simply generated new parts then he might be able to recover a bit faster, hopefully before the Other came back to finish him off.

His smoking, charred skin began to slide off, exposing new, tender membranes to the stinging air. His bony shoulders and the riblike cage surrounding his core remained the same, but their heat cracked surfaces subtly shifted, white material bubbling up from within to fill in any gaps in their faces. His mask shifted, and in its place a new one emerged, pushing the old out of the way.

It would take time. The skin must solidify, the bone must harden, the new face must set.

But soon Sachiel would walk again.

**-UNEXPECTED HYPOTHESIS-**

"Aaaaand… I'm lost."

Misato had been leading the girls through countless twisting metal corridors, almost all of them identical, for nearly fifteen minutes before she finally admitted defeat. "I have no idea where we are or how we got here. I guess my sense of direction isn't as good as I thought…"

Sayaka stared at her incredulously. "How is it even possible to get this lost when you have a _map _in your hands_?_" Wordlessly, Misato handed over the white piece of paper. Sayaka's eyebrows shot up. "Ah, I see… let me rephrase my previous question; how is it even possible to build a structure with more corridors than rooms?"

"I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be defensive…" Misato remarked. "It's supposed to confuse an intruder so they can't get to anything important. Of course, it confuses everyone who works here too."

The conveyor belt on which the party was standing emerged into a room that dropped at least twenty stories down, each level marked by similar conveyor belts. The chamber seemed to serve precisely no purpose, at least to Sayaka's eyes. Then, a blast of air ascended from above, wreaking havoc with the party's skirts.

After managing to fix her clothing and noting the momentary exposure of certain undergarments and Hitomi's assurance to a red faced Madoka that no one could possibly have been watching, a part of Sayaka's mind suddenly made itself heard through an involuntary shout. "Fanservice!"

The rest of the group turned to look at her. "What?" Misato inquired.

"Uh… sorry, nothing." Sayaka smiled, and immediately began tallying up what she knew in her head. _Ok, so some kind of vague meeting was happening with Akemi and those other people about something involving Madoka. That's weird and unusual on a number of levels. Then, a giant monster–a giant _Humanoid _monster–appears and attacks the city, definitely not normal. Giant robots appear from freaking nowhere to intercept it, which is weird too, and definitely supports this hypothesis. There's Mami's brief appearance, and her apparent ability to fly and fight, specifically against the monster. Then there's the final nail in the coffin, a seemingly innocuous blast of wind coming from a seemingly purposeless pit lifts our skirts up, perfect for a momentary panty shot. It's probably coincidence… but what if I take this even farther back? Second Impact was the biggest thing to happen–and certainly the most _unusual _thing to happen–since practically the ice age. Plus, it conveniently causes children to be born with hair colors that were genetically impossible before. That would be a perfect set up for an anime. "The world has ended, humankind struggles to survive in the aftermath. Then, monsters invade! And it's up to a few intrepid, heroic, and most importantly, _marketable,_ Japanese high school girls to save the day."_

Sayaka muttered a "holy shit" under her breath, garnering another confused glare from Misato.

"Hey, are you ok?"

"I either just came up with the best worldview ever, a great idea for a manga, something that's going to land me in a psychiatric ward, or all three at once." Hurriedly, she added "don't ask, it's probably just crazy. My imagination's a little worked up thanks to the absurdity of the day so far."

Misato looked at her for a moment, her face in a perplexed, possibly intrigued, expression. She then dismissed it as the conveyer came to a stop. She retrieved the map from Sayaka, and traced a line with her finger. "And that means that _this-" _She wheeled to face a small steel door. "Is an elevator!" She pushed a button beside it, and the door opened to reveal a closet full of cleaning supplies. Misato's shoulders sagged, but a glance at the map and a facepalm later, she had crossed to the other side of the hall, and pressed the button for the opposite door, which turned out to actually contain an elevator. "Success!" she shouted, stepping into the lift.

The rest of the girls followed her. Hitomi raised a hand once they were all inside. "Miss Katsuragi, where are we going?"

Sayaka saw an opportunity. "Wait, can I guess?"

Misato had been about to reply, but stopped short, pressing a button and sending the elevator downward. "Um… ok?"

"Alright… let's see…" Sayaka's eyes narrowed as she contemplated her knowledge of anime. "I'm going to guess that I am going to be offered a job; to fight that 'Angel' we saw out there and most likely a series of other 'Angels' which will also attack this city. That a good start?"

Misato seemed impressed. She nodded. "Pretty much, but I guess you could have guessed what our offer was going to be by the timing, but I'm surprised that you realized there would be more Angels."

"Mami distinctly said that I'd be her 'comrade' and said I could call her 'sempai.' That means that I'm being offered a similar position to hers, and that I'll probably have it for a while. By the way, her powers included flying, do mine include flying?"

"Your system most definitely involves flying." Misato actually grinned.

"Score!" Sayaka raised a fist in triumphant glee. "Alright, let me guess again; Homura Akemi is related to this team-"

Misato's expression suddenly became very, VERY serious. "What do you know about Akemi!" she snapped.

Sayaka reflected that she might be taking things too fast. "Uh… just that she transferred into our school today and that she was mysterious, female, and close to Mami's and my ages."

Misato calmed down. "Well, yes, you were alarmingly accurate on that detail." Under her breath, she muttered "she went to a _school_ and she used her real name_? _Is she _trying_ to let us catch her? She'll be gone by now though... damn." She cleared her throat, turning her attention back to Sayaka. "I guess if Mami's your Sempai, then that makes Homura Mami's Sempai, although I suppose you could say she was… 'expelled.'"

"Did she… 'fail,' or was it more like she misbehaved?" Sayaka asked, running with the school metaphor.

"Misbehave is an awfully kind word for murder," said Misato quietly. Sayaka didn't have a response for that. _Murder? That's... not what I was expecting. A bit extreme for my previous hypothesis._ Still, she'd been right so far. She'd let the coincidences pile up a little more before she said anything absolute.

But life was certainly starting to get interesting.

**-DELIVERY-**

Mami Tomoe, her unconscious, damaged body cradled in Homura's arms, had no way of knowing that several machine guns were being pointed at them. Homura, however, was perfectly aware of that fact, which made the neutral expression she bore all the more unnerving. NERV had a staff of guards posted at its gates, and it was up to them that Homura walked, ignoring the laser sights targeting her head. She walked straight up to the lieutenant in charge. He recoiled slightly, but to his credit did not step back.

Homura held out Mami's body. "She is alive, but she needs medical attention. I advise that you see to her; she is your only weapon against the Angels, after all."

The lieutenant took Mami from Homura's arms. "And what's to stop me from gunning down NERV's enemy number one?"

In response, Homura snapped her fingers, and one of the machine guns tore free from its mount. It spun through the air, and landed in Homura's arms where Mami had previously rested.

One of the other gunners panicked. He opened fire, chewing up a belt of ammunition and sending a stream of .50 caliber bullets blazing through the air towards Homura's head. The bullets made it almost to Homura's body, but halted half a meter from her face. They hung, suspended against a purple haze, until the final bullet came to rest in front of her. Then, with a flick of Homura's wrist, the bullets clattered to the ground, flattened.

"Do you need to ask again?"

**-INCUBATOR-**

The elevator door opened, and Misato found herself face to face with Ritsuko Akagi. She jumped back with a little "eep!"

"And where have you been, Captain Katsuragi?"

"Uh…" Misato grinned guiltily. "Lost?"

"You have a map," Ritsuko replied.

"Have you _seen_ the map?" Misato asked.

"Touché. Still, you're late, and we're in trouble." She glanced around at the elevator's other occupants. "Nice to meet you Sayaka Ikari," she said, focusing on the blunette. "I'm Ritsuko Akagi, Chief Scientist of NERV." She turned to the others. "And it is nice to meet you, Madoka Kaname. I believe we've met once, when you were much younger."

Madoka's eyes widened. "We have?"

"You were maybe four years old at the time. Your mother, Misato and I went to college together." She then turned to Hitomi. "And you are Hitomi Shizuki, correct?"

Hitomi was startled. "You know me too? I'd been getting used to being pretty much ignored."

Ritsuko suppressed a chuckle. "You're one of the candidates as well as Sayaka, although due to budget and time constraints we can't offer you the same position at this time. Regardless, it's good to make your acquaintance."

"Oh," Hitomi said, shocked. "I didn't realize…" She shook her head. "It's… an honor, I guess."

The elevator door opened, punctuating the conversation as the party of five started down the hall, led by Ritsuko. She indicated a large door labeled "I-1." "This way. You all might as well see this."

Sayaka grinned. This was it. If they were offering whatever Mami had received, then she was all for whatever was in the room ahead. "So," she said, "whaaaAAA...?"

She had planned to say "what next?" but the sight that met her was clearly the answer to that question, and the start of about a thousand more. The room they entered was _enormous,_ easily four stories high and just as wide. That alone was unusual, but what really drew the attention was the... _thing_ that was taking up almost a third of that space.

It was white. That was certain. It shouldn't have seemed like such an important detail, but Sayaka latched onto it, because assigning a color to the thing made it start to make some kind of real, logical sense. The thing was almost as tall as the room, although its width was smaller. It was a cigar shaped white mass, supported by about twenty white spidery legs which held the bottom of the... "body" about two meters from the floor. It looked impossibly like an old style sci-fi rocket ship, minus the fins, obligatory portholes, and of course the bright colors.

Also, it was most definitely _alive_. It's surface was shifting - just faintly, but enough that it was definitely happening. At the bottom of the body there was a hole, a hole that looked alarmingly similar to a mouth.

Around this, there was a sort of metal scaffold, bracing it and presumably allowing access to its sides. Clear tubes carried an orange liquid flowed into the scaffold from somewhere beyond the room's metal plated walls. Wires connected to the thing's top, giving a disturbing impression of hair.

Also, there was a huge flat screen TV mounted on its side. Sayaka _really_ didn't know what to make of that.

She turned to Misato, changed her mind, and turned to Ritsuko instead. "Wha...?"

"_That_," Ritsuko said smirking ever so slightly, "is an Incubator. One of only four in the entire world. And you, Sayaka Ikari, are going to use it."

Sayaka looked at the Incubator again. Then, she spoke without thinking. "Not at all what I expected. I guess reality is stranger than fiction."

Madoka and Hitomi stayed oddly silent. Then, suddenly, Madoka clutched at her head. "Ow...!"

Sayaka rushed to her side as Madoka collapsed to her knees. "Madoka?" she asked, fearful for her friend's safety.

"Something... something happened to Mami," Madoka gasped, clearly in intense pain. "Why do I know that? Why does my head hurt...?"

Ritsuko's labcoat produced an urgent beeping sound. She reached within and withdrew a red PDA. Her eyes darted across its screen. "What in blazes...?" She turned to Madoka, who was being helped to her feet. "You're right, Tomoe just got dropped off here. She's in bad shape, but she'll be alright." Ritsuko hesitated, but continued speaking. "Akemi was the one who carried her here."

"Her again?" Sayaka said. "Did she hurt Mami?"

"I don't know, but according to reports from observation planes it looks like it was the Angel that incapacitated Mami, right before it started running."

Silence fell as everyone began to process this information.

"Well," Misato broke the silence. "I guess that means that Sayaka's up to bat. Sorry, but it looks like you're the last line of defense for the entire human race. No pressure."

"Wonderful," Sayaka said, her voice dripping sarcasm. "So, I've got to have this 'Incubator' incubate me... whatever that means. Then I've got to fight without any training whatsoever or the Angel destroys the entire planet. Do I get a countdown timer? Because I really want to see if I can do it all with one second left on the clock."

Before Misato could voice a sarcastic retort, a voice came through the intercom system, and froze Sayaka dead.

"That will not be necessary."

It wasn't a phrase that would have elicited any particular reaction, but it was a voice that Sayaka recognized all too well. It brought back memories of a childhood cut short by bloodshed, a happier time with a loving family that fell apart into blood soaked chaos.

She turned. She knew where he stood without even realizing it. She could feel his eyes, masked as they were by his ever present sunglasses, even in this underground chamber. He stood on the scaffolding, one white gloved hand gripping the railing, the other hanging at his side. His dark NERV uniform silhouetted him against the Incubator's blazing white surface, a figure of absolute shadow.

He noticed Sayaka's attention. Without a single move on his part, his face changing not at all from the still neutrality it maintained, he spoke. "Hello, Sayaka."

Sayaka sighed. She should have know. It had never been mentioned to her directly, but she knew that he worked within NERV. That much she remembered. Truth be told, she had begun to suspect it as soon as she heard the organization's name.

She sighed. _So, it's been almost ten years, and we finally come face to face._ She looked up at him, not even bothering to fake a smile. He would know it wasn't real anyhow. She wouldn't smile at him, not now, not for a long, long time.

"Hello, father."


	4. Chapter 03: INCUBATION

**-CONTINUATION-**

The man on the stage grins ear to ear. "Welcome back everyone, although some of you I suspect haven't left since my last performance." He winks, a gesture seemingly at no one yet directed to every member of his audience. "Although it may seem this is the beginning, this story has already begun long ago, and yet not even started, and yet again it is already over. A date is but a marker, which indicates when fragments of chaos became parts of the whole.

"Regardless, in a sense this _is _a beginning, for it is where Sayaka Ikari and Mami Tomoe learn their first lessons about the form their future will take. Even as Sayaka Ikari takes her first steps in the heavy boots of a soldier she is filled with idealism. Even as Mami Tomoe falls with the sky, she is filled with the overwhelming urge to do the 'right thing', to be a 'hero.'

"And it is also a midpoint in several much longer journeys, for it is where Homura Akemi and Shinji Ikari's paths cross. Even as Homura Akemi flees the people who wish to save the world, people who want her dead, she hopes to save the girl who has become her only purpose. Even as Shinji Ikari wrestles with the consequences of actions he remembers taking, and grave mistakes he remembers making, he hopes that somehow he can fix the world, and make it a place worth living in, for him and his friends who have passed the end only to come full circle.

"And that is but a fragment of the wills of Humankind. Many scheme. Many plot. Many conspire to end lives or to seize control, but even the highest king is but a puppet in this story.

"But, I digress. Let us step away from that time; the 'present,' if you will. Let us instead focus momentarily on a time in the distant past, a time that left the Ikari family with scars that will never truly heal.

"The time when Yui Ikari vanished from the face of the Earth."

**-TEN YEARS AGO, 2015-**

"You're certain this will be alright?" Naoko Akagi asked, her eyebrows arching questioningly.

"Yes," Yui Ikari said, her expression resolute. "If I wasn't certain, I wouldn't be asking you."

"You'd be breaking in and performing this test in secret."

"See? We're on the same page here!"

Naoko rolled her eyes. "I don't see why not. It does bother me that you're devoting so much time to this little pet project of yours. Project E is _falling behind,_ Doctor Ikari."

"If I'm right, and I _know_ I'm right," Yui countered, "we're not going to need Project E for much longer. If I can get the Incubators to work, then the resulting technology will be easier to maintain, easier to mass produce, and safer for all involved." What she didn't add was "It'll also screw over Keel and those sick fucks at SEELE to no end." Actually, she realized, she should probably add something to the opposite effect. "We can keep Project E around, of course. In fact, I'd recommend it, since Project I has more theoretical basis than hard evidence to support it. Still, I'm going through with it, if you'll give me permission."

Naoko sighed. "You're impossible, Ikari. You either get permission or you hack the computers and do the test anyhow. You've broken _laws,_ you know, not just regulations. If this was America, you would be dead by now, 'unfortunate accident,' and such."

"Not Germany?" Yui asked, "I'd _definitely _have pissed off Germany."

"Germany would have shot you the second you entered the door," Naoko mumbled. "Why I didn't is beyond me."

"It's because you realized that _I_, am a _genius!_" Yui said, spinning dramatically in her swivel chair. She stopped under Naoko's withering gaze, and grinned. "Sorry, I forgot that being a genius is a job requirement."

"Right, well you can do your damned test." Naoko said, sighing again. She turned back to her computer and gave a little wave of her hand, in a very specific X pattern. "Do you need me to enter the test data into the MAGI for you?"

Yui caught the gesture, and for a fraction of a second, her expression faltered. She pulled up a smile again. "Yes, that would be _very _helpful. So, how is Project E going without me? Are we reaching the goal alright?"

Naoko turned back to Yui. "It's going slowly. With you taking so much time some of the team is getting bored. There's talk of handing the stewardship of the project to someone else, you know." Naoko's face was a bored mask, except for her eyes, which glanced to the "hidden" camera above the door twice.

Yui nodded. "I've only got one more major test to perform, then I can get back on the team full time. Don't worry, Project E and Project I will both go ahead on schedule."

"I hope so, doctor Ikari," Naoko said. "You can go, keep up the... 'good work.'" She could barely say it with a straight face, at least that was how she portrayed herself for the camera. In fact, her eyes were telling a completely different story. _Be careful Yui. You're not irreplaceable. SEELE's onto you. You'd better make your move fast or they're going to get rid of you. You don't have many allies, just me, your husband, and Kyoko. BE CAREFUL._

And Yui was shooting back her response. _I'm almost done. I just need one more experiment with the incubator to ruin their dreams of Instrumentality. Just that and a little false data from you injected into the MAGI once they're complete, and we'll have foiled SEELE's plans for good._

As Yui left, she recalled that things weren't going to be easy to sway after this. There were still so many things that could go wrong. Even if the data the Naoko fed the MAGI was enough to convince SEELE that the Evangelions were going to be unnecessary, Yui wasn't sure that they wouldn't indeed create them anyway, just to be certain. That might prove a major, possibly fatal flaw in her plan, but Evangelions were not invincible. If necessary, she'd destroy the abominations with her own hands.

_Oh wait..._ she realized. _After this experiment I'm not going to have "hands." Oh well, I'll just get Gendo to do it, he's on board with this._

She rounded the corner, coming upon the room marked "I-1." Incubator-01. Purely arbitrary numeration, of course, given that GEHIRN received all four incubators at the same time.

**-TWELVE YEARS AGO, 2013-**

How had that one tabloid put it? Oh right, "Giant alien spiders arise from Pacific Ocean."

They hadn't been subtle. The Incubators literally walked out of the Ocean up to GEHIRN Japan's front door and stopped. They never moved on their own again.

Of course, most people were just confused by them, but it was Yui who had spotted the note. It was horribly ironic. The note was addressed not to GEHIRN, not to SEELE, not to Humanity, but to Yui Ikari. It was attached to the leg of Incubator-01 with a tiny piece of scotch tape. It read, in handwritten English:

_"Yui Ikari, I give you power. Power to defy Instrumentality. Power to save your children from their suffering. Power to stop SEELE and Keel from winning. Power to give humanity a true future, not as SEELE's mindless horde but as a species that the universe will come to know as Gods. It is your choice, Yui Ikari. You can let them win, let them have their Instrumentality and their Evangelions and let them use your child to do it, or you can rebel, and strike Keel from his throne. I give you a chance to change the course of the future, to remove SEELE's influence from this world._

_These machines are the Incubators. The USB drive hidden beneath this note contains a file of instructions for their use. If it is opened on a computer, no tracking software will read any activity for the duration it is open. I trust you will be able to use this creatively._

_I cannot force you to do this. I am merely an observer who wishes SEELE to fail. The Incubators are the limit of my power. Still, I would appreciate if you would tell me your choice once you make it. If you agree with me, then simply say, "yes."_

_Regards, and best of luck,_

_**F.**_

Yui had taken the note and looked around. There were many scientists in GEHIRN here who were working with her on Project E. Some of them she knew were all for SEELE's vision of Instrumentality. Others did not even know of it, and still others were like her, hiding their hatred lest they be replaced with more willing or ignorant pawns. But none of them would have been capable of this.

She grinned. This was the chance she had been needing. She had resigned herself to giving her daughter control of Instrumentality, in the hope that she would give mankind a _choice_. This was far better; an actual angle of attack! Even if this was some kind of elaborate trick, it could be no worse than SEELE's vision.

So, she threw back her head, pocketing the note and the attached drive, and shouted, loud and clear;

"YES!"

And the future was changed.

**-TEN YEARS AGO, 2015-**

Yui Ikari stood below the Incubator. It stood in a room that was designed to accommodate an Evangelion, and almost certainly would if she did not act soon. She looked up at the bottom of the Incubator, smooth and round. She knew that it would soon open.

And then, the door broke down.

A squad of soldiers ran in, followed by Naoko. "Yui Ikari, you are under arrest."

Yui's first thought was betrayal, but Naoko shook her head slowly, letting some of her own masked panic trickle into her expression. _I didn't plan this._

Another figure emerged from the door. It was Gendo Ikari, Yui's husband, not even bothering to hide his confusion. "Naoko! What is the meaning of this?"

"Dr. Ikari has violated several safety regulations and endangered all of GEHIRN Japan. She is to be placed in JSSDF custody to await trial."

It was false. It was so false that it was obvious that Naoko, so gifted an actor and so brilliant a mind, would never have dreamed of using it as an excuse. Gendo caught this, along with her expression. His anger did not subside. "Tell me exactly what my wife is guilty of."

"It's alright, dear," Yui said. A plan was forming. Of course SEELE would be watching, they always were. She'd just have to give them a performance. "I don't think Naoko quite understands what I plan on doing here today. In fact, it might be nice to have an audience. You see, I'm about to render Project E hopelessly obsolete."

There were a few gasps. It seemed that a few scientists had trickled in behind the soldiers. It wasn't often that GEHIRN was so lively. Yui grinned. This could all fail _soooo_ badly.

Gendo, at least, seemed to realize what she was doing. "Naoko, why don't you give my wife time to explain. Don't you owe her that much?"

Naoko nodded slowly, letting some hope trickle into her expression. "Alright, fine. Doctor Ikari, please explain your actions."

Yui had it now. "This Incubator, Project I, if you will, is far superior to the Evangelions of Project E. It is safer, there is no danger of psychological damage for the subject, there is no danger of it going rampant, and there is no requirement for maintenance. The Incubator itself cannot fight the Angels, but that is not its function. The incubator will not fight, it will equip soldiers."

Naoko was intrigued. This was new to her, even if she knew that Yui was working on an alternative to the EVAs, she hadn't known the specifics. She walked up to the JSSDF Sergeant. "Stand down, let her speak."

The soldiers complied. After all, Yui Ikari was one woman in a lab coat, and they were six men in the latest American MS-08 "Sunshine" Power Armor. That single fact was making it blatantly obvious that they were not just normal JSSDF troops, but if they understood that - or cared - it wasn't apparent.

Yui smiled. Now, for the final note to send Keel into a frenzy. "And it'll also work for that _other_ purpose we're building the Evangelions for."

A wave of shock rippled through the ranks of scientists. Instrumentality was taboo. If you talked too much, you disappeared. Yui had just said something impossibly dangerous.

Naoko knew what that meant, and so did Gendo. They also that she was lying. There was no pathway to instrumentality in Project I. It would dead end after the Angels were defeated, leaving Keel and his people with nothing to work with and GEHIRN, or whatever replaced it, with all the weapons it needed to annihilate them.

They also knew that she was about to go somewhere where SEELE couldn't touch her.

And, as they made that realization, Sayaka Ikari, four years old, stepped into the room. Silence fell at once, as the little blue haired child walked up to her father. "Daddy, what's going on?"

The terror on the Ikaris' faces didn't last long. They had to maintain the masquerade. Gendo reached down and picked up Sayaka, lifting her onto his shoulder. "Nothing. Let's get you back to bed, it's past ten."

"Why's mom standing underneath the big white spider?" Sayaka asked, childishly oblivious to the assault rifles still gripped in the armored hands of the kill squad. Yui's grin had vanished. She didn't let her fear show, but she couldn't force anything more than a neutral expression. "Sayaka," she called.

Her daughter turned her head. "Mommy?"

"You go back to bed sweetie, you're a growing girl, you need to get enough sleep or you're not going to grow up big and strong like your father." She tried her best to sound playful. The air in room I-1 was filled with enough tension to stop a monomolecular blade. All the GEHIRN scientists loved Sayaka Ikari. She was a bright, playful girl who had often lightened the many dark days spent working on studying the Lovecraftian science that was their field. Everyone knew she was in danger of witnessing her mother's violent death. No one, not even SEELE's sympathizers, wanted that to happen. Even SEELE themselves, sitting in their isolated conference rooms across the continents, must know that to harm Sayaka would be an unforgivable act that would lose them all the support they had amongst the staff.

Sayaka clearly wanted to object, but her eyes were drooping with exhaustion from a long day spent hard at play. She nodded, and let her father pick her up and carry her out of the room.

The relief in the room was short lived. Yui realized that she had SEELE's attention, and that she needed to put on a good show. She thanked her lucky stars that she'd prepared a flash drive with a specially modified version of the Incubator information file, as well as false experiment data. In it would be false information that stated the possibility to initiate and control Instrumentality in a way that was identical to what the Evangelions would allow. SEELE weren't scientists, they were a cult that used science to justify their worldview. They would believe most of what she was going to tell them, no matter how unlikely.

She brandished the USB drive. "This is a file containing all the data I have on the Incubator." She tossed it to Naoko, who caught it out of the air. Yui grinned again. Now was the final scene. "Now, I have one last thing to do."

She withdrew her PDA. On the screen rested a picture of Sayaka, smiling ear to ear for the camera. She suppressed a sudden burst of sadness. She probably wouldn't get another chance to hold her daughter's hand, and she'd almost certainly miss her entrance into high school. She steeled herself. This had to be done. For Sayaka, for Gendo, for all of Humankind.

She scrolled through the programs, finally reaching one named "ignition." She grinned one last grin. "If you'll go through that file, what I'm about to do is going to make sense. If not... well, this is going to be pretty weird."

She briefly reflected on what her last words should be. Perhaps "see you later alligators" was not the best choice, although it would be fun to watch Naoko's face. She decided as she pressed the button. "It's time, time for Humanity's golden age to begin." She raised a fist in the air. _Time to screw with Keel again!_ "For the bright future of Humankind!"

"Mommy?"

How Sayaka had gotten out of her father's hands was something Yui Ikari couldn't even fathom. How she'd managed to make it back to I-1... it had to have been Keel. But how? How could they have conspired...

Yui could have burst into tears at that very moment. This was not something she wanted her daughter to see. Sayaka started walking past the line of soldiers, who didn't move to stop her. "Mommy? What's going on?"

"Stay back, Sayaka," Yui said, her mouth numb. "I'm going away for a little while, but remember, I love you more than anything!" It was classic, perhaps a bit cliché, but it was necessary. She knew that the Incubator was opening, that the white fingerless arms were extending, coming to draw her inside. Sayaka was so close, but she wouldn't be taken. The Incubator only needed one sacrifice.

Yui reached out, and brushed aside a strand of blue hair from in front of Sayaka's terrified eyes, forgetting that this was all supposed to be a show. "It's alright. I'll be fine. Maybe someday we'll get to speak again, but until then, just be strong and remember; me and your father care about you more than anything, more than this world, more than our work," _more than even stopping Keel_, but that she couldn't say. She was already showing them her only remaining weakness by comforting her daughter. Yui felt the arm wrap around her waist. She smiled, and realized that she was crying. These would be the last tears that she would ever shed.

Then the arm retracted. It pulled Yui Ikari up, up, up, into the belly of the Incubator...

Leaving Sayaka behind.

**-REUNION (PRESENT DAY)-**

Father and daughter locked eyes with each other. Animosity burned in Sayaka's eyes. In her father's, only a calculated menace. Sayaka knew that if he was feeling anything, then he wouldn't show it. That was how he had been, ever since her mother had...

It clicked. She remembered in that instant everything her mind had repressed. Yes, that big white thing _was_ the thing that had eaten Yui Ikari. Of course, now they had attached a lot of machinery to it, but it was the same. The room number was even the same. It was identical to how it had been back then, ten years before, and Sayaka had to mentally kick herself for not recognizing any of it until that moment.

Ritsuko broke the awkward silence. "Commander, we're ready if you are. Sayaka, I take it you understand approximately what this offer entails."

Sayaka shook herself out of her daze. "Uh... fight the Angel, get magical superpowers, fly around a lot?"

"..." Ritsuko frankly looked appalled. "I... _guess_ that is a decent description... no, it's not! There is no _magic_ involved, we just haven't figured out exactly how it works yet. And you don't just get to fly around, you're going to be in mortal danger! Take this seriously!"

"Right, well I figured that was a given," Sayaka muttered. "Anyway, I'm not entirely clear on the stakes here, but I've got the basic picture. If I don't do this now, Hitomi could do it, but you offered it to me first and I wouldn't back down and force her into it." Hitomi seemed a bit put off by that, but Sayaka cut her off before she could complain. "I know you're probably worried about me, but I'd just be in the same position if you went out there."

"Also..." Ritsuko added, tentatively, "your potential aptitude as a Shito Kira is much higher than Miss Shizuki's."

"Ok, then that too," Sayaka said. "Now then," she indicated the Incubator, "this thing has something to do with the magical superpowers, right?"

Ritsuko opened her mouth angrily, but Gendo cut her off. "Correct. If you accept our offer, then step below the Incubator."

"I remember it, you know," Sayaka said. "I was young, but I remember what happened. Is _that_ going to happen to me too?"

Gendo's expression didn't waver. "Essentially. The main difference is that you're going to come out again."

Sayaka nodded. She didn't know what would come next, but her mother had wanted this. Whatever had happened to her... whatever that thing had _done_ to her, she had been smiling at the end. She was not afraid. Sayaka would not fear either.

She took a deep breath, and walked. Each step was heavy. She realized that she was still wearing her indoor shoes from school. Oddly enough, although her school uniform was wrinkled and dusty, she didn't mind. This was what she had always dreamed of, wasn't it? A chance to be like her heroes, like Nanoha or Sakura or Usagi; one who protected the defenseless from the "forces of evil," in whatever form they took.

Her pace quickened. Yes, this was what she had always fantasized about, in those long hours spent watching anime, losing herself in the flashes of color and the whimsical battle cries, forgetting that her mother was gone and her father had all but disowned her.

This was it. She grinned. Was this really happening? Her eyes widened in anticipation. Would she actually join the ranks of her heroes? Was this not too great to be true? What ironic twist of reality had given her this chance?

She found herself standing beneath the Incubator. She grinned, and almost started to laugh. Then she looked into its mouth.

"OK... scary black void portal... not what I was expecting..."

Within the incubator's mouth, there was nothing. It was black, but only because there simply was no light reflecting out to demonstrate a color. It was like staring into the event horizon of a black hole.

Then, a pair of white tentacles emerged from the blackness, their forms terminating precisely at the surface of the mouth. This set off an entirely new set of alarms in Sayaka's head. "_Tentacles? _Why did it have to be _tentacles!_"

Of course, most of the anime had been uplifting and fun, but there was that one time, after Sayaka had discovered the internet and how many of her fellow otaku existed there, that she had been tricked into watching a clip from a certain X-rated series. Even the _mention_ of a squid was enough to put her off her lunch.

So the two white arms that reached down towards her did nothing to ease her apprehension.

_But mother faced the same thing with a smile. She didn't get scared. She didn't run, so I won't run either._

The arms reached down and wrapped around her, eliciting a reflexive shiver from Sayaka. Then they began to pull her up towards the void. Sayaka made the mistake of looking up at the approaching nothingness. Then, she made the mistake of looking down at the descending floor. Finally, she settled on looking very firmly at the pretend nothing on the backs of her eyelids.

Sayaka felt the gentle touch of something warm against her forehead. Then, true blackness descended.

**-SECOND WIND-**

Sachiel was ready to begin his march anew. His body was as new, still cooling from the blast and his subsequent regeneration.

First the right foot, and then the left, swaying slightly as he walked. He focused his attention on Adam's signal. _YES, HE IS HERE. SOON I WILL REACH HIM._

Sachiel walked down the mountain, his footfalls gouging holes in the asphalt of Tokyo-3's streets and ripping apart any buildings that happened to be in his way. It was so very close now, just beneath this cluster of structures that seemed to be dwellings for some kind of insignificant creature. They weren't particularly interesting, although Sachiel realized that he rather enjoyed the sensation of scraping his hand along their sides and letting the shattered glass rain down on his AT Field. It tickled.

**-DRIFTING-**

_Who am I? Sayaka Ikari_

_What am I? Human, I guess..._

_Where am I? Floating in freaking nowhere land._

There was no medium for Sayaka's thoughts. There was no sight, no sound, no taste, no smell, no touch. Even the faint brush of air that a human takes for granted was gone. The void was not black, so much as it was _nothing._ True nothing. There were no eyes in this void to feed visions of darkness to Sayaka's brain.

For the first thirty seconds, Sayaka had panicked. She tried to feel something, to move something, but if her body still existed it was not connected to her mind. She gave up trying to scream fairly quickly.

Instead, she settled for "I think therefore I am" as her lifeline, clinging to conscious thought to validate her existence. _If I can still think these thoughts, then I'm still real, and that means that some part of me probably still exists physically..._

And then the darkness exploded.

Describing it was impossible. It was the instant return of all sensation in a space to fast to perceive. The world didn't "rush back," it was simply, suddenly _there,_ as if Sayaka's brief moment of senselessness had never happened_._

But, this world was wrong. Sayaka was standing in a wide open field, and yet it was the Incubator room, but that was only because it was indeed everywhere and nowhere and yet, it was somewhere that was neither. The floor was glass, and it was water, and it was steel, and it was dirt, and grass, and it was nothing and everything and, again, something that was outside of both sets. The entire world was as such. Infinite, yet not full. Nothing, yet not empty.

But there were two certainties. Sayaka was standing in this bizarre world, and there was someone behind her with their hand on her shoulder.

She whirled, panic making itself heard through the haze of confusion brought on by her conflicted senses. The hand left her shoulder, and Sayaka faced the person who ruled this broken land.

"Hello Sayaka," Yui Ikari said, smiling.

"..." said Sayaka, as the world exploded again. No, isn't correct, is it? The world didn't erupt, in fact, it never changed at all. The simple fact was that to Sayaka Ikari, this world's impossibilities were currently meaningless.

"Confused?" Yui asked.

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaa..." Sayaka trailed off. "You know what, I don't want answers, not now. Answers can come later. Answers _will _come later. Right now there's a giant Angel attacking my city, and I've got to take it out. Let's just focus on that. Otherwise, I might just go nuts from having to look at the landscape around here." She stopped. There _was_ one thing she wanted to say, with all the emotion she could muster. "Hi, mom."

Yui smiled. "I'm so sorry, this all happened so fast we don't have much time to talk. If I'd had my way you would have come here a year ago, but sometimes you just have to be grateful you have as much power as you do." She cleared her throat, banishing all else but practicality. "Alright, so, you've already met Mami, right?"

"Yes," Sayaka said.

"You've probably figured out that we're going to give you similar powers to hers, right?"

"Hell yes," Sayaka said, grinning.

Yui laughed. "I assumed as much, although I'll admit I'm partly to blame for the fact that you got all the hints I'd been dropping."

Sayaka's grin faded. "Pardon?"

"The Magical Girl genre stuff was my idea. I was the one who introduced you to _Nanoha,_ don't you remember?"

Sayaka thought back. "Yeah... but I was only _three_ back then. You'd been planning this that long?"

"Longer, unfortunately," Yui said. "This organization was necessary after Second Impact, but I managed to remove most of the risks associated with fighting the Angels... well, aside from the fighting itself."

"Other risks... so, side effects?"

"Calling them that is being too kind." Yui shuddered. "If I hadn't been able to use the Incubators, you would be fighting much more slowly, and you would almost certainly go insane. And besides all that, I figured you'd prefer being a Magical Girl to being a Mecha pilot anyhow."

Sayaka had to think about that for all of two seconds. "I'd much rather be Nanoha than Amuro."

"See? Better all around!" Yui's smile weakened. "At least, I hope it will be. Remember; this isn't a game and it isn't an Anime. Not all the tropes are going to apply. I can give you the powers, but I can't get you any 'plot armor'. Sorry."

"I guess that _would_ be a little excessive." Sayaka shook her head. _Focus, FOCUS damnit! This is crazy awesome and all, but I'm about to fight a giant monster with no training. Worse, now I know most of the magical girl stuff was made that way on purpose. AKA: I need a better plan than "I'm the protagonist, I'll figure it out."_

What she said was "So, how exactly do I go about slaying Angels?"

**-COUNCIL-**

Things in NERV Japan were progressing, but there were other flurries of activity overseas. In a certain facility in the United States, for example, a certain man was conducting a long distance conference with the other members of a certain council.

"So, things are going according to plan?" SEELE-01 asked.

"All as the scrolls foretold, so far." SEELE-05 answered.

There wasn't much to be read from these men's appearances, probably because they were hiding them. Instead of a holographic body or face, each member of SEELE was represented by a large, rectangular block, displaying only their number, the SEELE insignia, and SOUND ONLY in large, red letters. It was for the sake of anonymity, for the sake of intimidation, and finally because the man who designed the holograms happened to be a fan of _2001: A Space Oddessey_.

Their voices, however, were a different story. SEELE-01 spoke with a faint German accent, and he betrayed next to nothing with his cool, calm words. But that itself said that he was being cautious, not letting his thoughts leak into his voice lest the other members wished to read him. In contrast, SEELE-05 let _everything _slip into his voice. He had a British accent, and his wavering words told that he was excited, apprehensive, and that he probably was more interested in the scientific implications of what was going on than the spiritual ones that SEELE was supposed to be devoted to. Given that he was the only member who anyone would call a _scientist_, this was somewhat understandable.

This meeting had a purpose; to determine if Yui Ikari's Incubators and Shito Kira would be a suitable replacement for the Evangelions. The members of SEELE were gathered from all across the world, each of them sitting in their own communications room in their own estate. They all watched countless military feeds from Tokyo-3, observing the emerging conflict with skeptical gazes.

Maxwell Church, SEELE-07 and representative of the United States, was no exception. Yet, while often one of the quietest and least opinionated members of SEELE, Maxwell was by no means the least powerful. The other members of SEELE made the assumption that he was a lower government official who had a lot of money hidden away. In fact, if an ordinary person were to happen to see every member of the council in a lineup, they might very well only recognize Maxwell, and they would undoubtedly assume he was the leader of the group.

That was because Maxwell Church was the 46th President of the United States. It would have come as a great shock to the other members if they ever learned that the quiet, contemplative SEELE-07 was one of the most powerful men on the planet.

Not to say that the other members were not incredibly powerful men in their own rights. Indeed, SEELE-01, Keel Lorenz, had the United Nations wrapped around his finger, and SEELE-05, Shou Tucker, single handedly controlled the scientific community.

But of all of them, Maxwell was the most well known. No one would have suspected Shou, an unremarkable British chemist, of being the man who both drafted and silenced the critics of the Second Impact cover story. And no one would have imagined that Keel, a crippled old man living in the German countryside on welfare money, was plotting to tear the world apart.

But Maxwell, he had been called many things. He was at all times a "tyrant," a "murderer," a "criminal," and at the same time he was the "savior" of the United States; a "hero" and a "patriot". Thus was the nature of politics.

The irony was that not even his most rabid detractors even came close to guessing the horror that Maxwell Church had partaken in. The only ones who knew of his plans were the researchers and staff who worked directly under him, and SEELE-10, who had his own reasons for siding with Maxwell over Keel.

"So," SEELE-10 said, his French accented voice holding nothing but boredom. It was strange; of all the members of the council, SEELE-10 was the only one whose identity Maxwell hat yet to uncover, and it had been him, not Maxwell, who had suggested their secret alliance. "It seems that Ikari's system will suffice, although I suspect that a single Evangelion would have already defeated the Angel."

Maxwell smirked. He spoke with the deep drawl of a man raised in Texas, and yet he let nothing seep into his voice, deliberately mimicking Keel. "Indeed, the Evangelions would have been significantly more... efficient. However, we must not forget that the total cost of a single Angel Slayer is merely one tenth of the cost of a single Evangelion." What he left unsaid was that ninety percent of _that_ cost was going directly to his own projects. Indeed, if SEELE had any idea what Maxwell Church was planning, they would have nuked the United States out of existence, repercussions be damned.

But they didn't know. The dirty old men contented themselves with believing they held the entire world in the palm of their hands, while in reality it had already been snatched away.

**-EMERGENCE-**

Sayaka Ikari knew how to kill an Angel.

Her mother had told her much, but she had also expressed her own uncertainty. "I have no way of knowing exactly what your individual powers will be. Tomoe's body is nearly indestructible, and the other Shito Kira - in Germany they call them 'Engelstöter' - has some speed and strength related abilities, but Akemi's... well, explaining what Akemi is can wait. The point is, I have no way of knowing what you will be able to do exactly once you get out of the Incubator."

The most important knowledge Yui gave to her daughter was how to use her SG-Engine, culminating in a rather cryptic warning. "Don't let the number hit 0%. It shouldn't come up at all, since most of the time they recharge faster than we can find ways to use them - up to using them to temporarily power large chunks of Japan - but still, be careful."

"That's great mom... but I have one question." Sayaka said, recalling one detail she wasn't so sure she liked about the entire process.

"Ok," Yui said smiling.

"WHY TENTACLES?"

"What?"

"The Incubator's mouth. Tentacles. Why."

Yui shrugged. "I didn't build the thing, I don't know. What's the problem...?" The realization hit her like a flying brick. "Oh! Oh no, no no no... don't worry, nothing like _that._ That would be... nooooooooo..."

"Aha." Sayaka was less than impressed. "Thanks for the warnings by the way, you could have at least mentioned that."

"How was I supposed to know you'd make that connection? Oh god..." Yui shook her head in disgust. "Nothing like _that_ happened. What happened to you was the equivalent of say... a facelift, or some other kind of minor surgery."

"Surgery? Great!" Sayaka said, but the worry was gone, replaced by a smile.

"Shush, now _I'm _thinking about it!" Yui said, but her own disgust had turned to laughter as well.

Of course, this reunion had to end. The Angel had awoken, and time was beginning to run out. Sayaka and Yui faced each other one last time. Sayaka was smiling, but it was becoming obvious that this wasn't going to last much longer. A tear rolled down her face. She caught it with her hand, staring incredulously at it as more began to fall. "Am I going to get to see you again, mom?" she asked without thinking, the words leaving a bitter taste.

Yui, surprisingly, was also crying. "Hopefully. Gendo figured out how to get text in and out of the Incubator, but we're not sure about anything else."

"And you're never going to be able to leave this place?"

"Never." Yui shook her head sadly. "That was my sacrifice. I am the control center of the Incubator. It's 'soul,' if you will."

"Then I'll make this count," Sayaka said. Before her mother could ask her what she meant, she was embracing her. Letting her tears soak into her mother's labcoat, she hugged her with as much strength as she could manage to muster. Yui returned the gesture, and Sayaka heard her laugh.

"Well, if this isn't the sappiest parting I've ever experienced..."

"I don't care, Mom," Sayaka said, and she realized that right now she really didn't care. At that moment she would have let the Angel destroy the world just to have her family together again. Not just her and her mother, but her father as well.

But reality doesn't care about the emotions of a single human girl. The embrace had to end, and the dreamlike world began to fade from Sayaka's sight. Yui Ikari smiled one last time as the world began to unravel into an infinity of brilliant threads. "Remember, Sayaka. I love you, and I'm cheering for you from in here. And, no matter how he seems, your father feels the same way."

Sayaka laughed through her tears. "Now who's the sappy one?"

"Be careful, Sayaka." Yui's voice suddenly became cold. "Not everyone on your side. There are some people who want us, want _NERV_ to fail, and there are some people who just want the world to burn. Be ready for them, because sooner or later you will come up against them. The Angels aren't the only adversaries you will have to face, so please... be safe."

Sayaka saw her mother's face change, but before she could ask any more questions the world fell away once more. Then she was dropping out of the mouth, tentacles wrapped around her arms. Her feet touched the floor, and the tendrils retracted away, leaving her standing below the massive white Incubator.

Madoka and Hitomi were running towards her, she realized. Sayaka reached up to her cheek and found that it was indeed wet with tears. Madoka called out her name, stopping short as she saw what Sayaka hadn't yet noticed.

"What... what's that on your stomach?"

Sayaka looked, and reality reasserted itself. A blue glow shined through her school uniform. Sayaka reached down to it, and felt the SG-Engine, nestled in her navel. It was warm to the touch, but otherwise smooth and hard as glass. Yet, it felt as if it had no weight to it, as much a part of her as her hands or feet.

It was a source of immense levels of power. It possessed more potential destructive force than any other weapon in the world. It was a tiny blue gemstone, and it belonged to Sayaka Ikari.

**/-TEn Ye4Rz Ag0, 2OI5-/**

Gendo Ikari just stood there, down the hall from the Incubator room, cold shock threading its way through his veins. He looked at his hands, where Sayaka had been cradled moments before, now empty. His gaze traveled upward, slowly, slowly... until it rested on the back of a long black coat that was leaving him behind.

Whoever this person was, they had taken Sayaka from his arms, without lifting a finger. Of course, Gendo had no way of knowing that she had been sent to her mother, and he had no idea how this person had taken her. "Who...?" he asked, finding his throat unnaturally dry.

The person stopped with a final click of immaculately polished shoes. He turned, slowly, as if purposefully extending the moment for as much dramatic emphasis as he could. He faced Gendo Ikari, and he smiled a smile the likes of which no Human being could ever smile.

"Why, I am no one, Gendo Ikari," he said, his voice resonating with every nerve in Gendo's body. "I am... well, I can't tell you that, actually. Not now, not ever. If I did _that..._well, this wouldn't end the way you and your wife want."

"You... did you take Sayaka?" A steady, slow burning rage was seeping into Gendo's voice. His hands, balled into fists, were beginning to shake.

"I didn't _take_ her anywhere, Mr. Ikari," the man said, still maintaining that unholy smile. "I merely _moved_ her. It's only right that she should get to see her dear mother off, don't you think?"

Gendo's head snapped around, as the sounds of gasps and commotion began to come from room I-1.

Slowly, he turned around, his eyes narrowed in anger. "Who. Are. You."

"Oh my! So persistant..." the man chuckled, sending a chill down Gendo's spine. "I suppose it won't harm anything to tell you what I told your wife." The man produced a card from within his coat, tossing it through the air.

Gendo caught it, his eyes shifting to examine it. On the card was only one letter, handwritten in elaborate calligraphic script.

_**F.**_

When Gendo Ikari looked up, the man who called himself _**F. **_was gone.

* * *

><p>Author's note:<p>

OH MAH GAWD this took too long.

Sorry, readers. I really should have had this out months ago, but a lot of things got in my way. While writing this chapter I _completed_(?)_ another fanfic. _(A surveyor's tale. Look it up through my profile if interested. Shameless plug! Go me!) I also have _THREE_ original stories in the works, although I think NGMM and AST both have higher word counts than the longest of those so far. (Speaking of which, the "longest of those" will hopefully turn into a 5+ novel series... if I can ever get off my lazy ass and write the damn thing.)

In any case, thank you for waiting this long, welcome if you're new to my stories, and I'll try and finish this next chapter in a timely manner.

But... school starts in a month... so there's no telling if that'll actually happen...

Review Please!


	5. Chapter 04: FIRST BLOOD

**Note: You might notice this time around that those little boxes with words in them actually mean something. That's because they're all the names of various songs from various OSTs. If you feel like going through the trouble of looking them up on YouTube or some such, feel free. I've included a list of all songs' exact titles and origin at the end, since I've modified a few titles to make better "chapter headings". If you think this is stupid or annoying, then you can ignore it and leave a review telling me that you hate it and that it should never happen again. If you don't like the music, then that's your opinion and you have a right to it. Thanks for reading! **

* * *

><p><strong>[Deadly Shuffle]<strong>

"Welcome back ladies and gentlemen!" the man says. It seems that, as always, no applause comes to him. This does not concern the man, however, as he knows that, in reality, his audience is unable to applaud until after the curtain has long fallen. That suits the man just fine. After all, he hates being interrupted during his performances, unless it's during an intermission, of course.

The man sighs. Truly, this is a thankless job. "It seems my audience has been rather small lately. Perhaps a change in venue is in order, a larger stage for this production, hmm?" He laughs. "But, that's not your concern, my dear friends. The few of you that wait anxiously for the curtain to rise are reward enough for my efforts."

He whirls, letting his long, dark coat follow him like a shadow as he crosses stage left. "But I digress! This is not _my _story! It is the story of NERV, of the Angels, of a thousand sinister eyes watching from the shadows of history, never wanting a place in the books that record its flow but wishing to dominate it nonetheless. This is a tale of gods and men." He grins. "But, again, I am digressing."

The aforementioned curtain begins its slow climb, and the man pulls a thin black cane from the sleeve of his coat. He spins it rapidly, tracing a white circle in the air with the tip. He swings his cane out to indicate the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen - and others - please, enjoy the show!" He swings the cane back behind his back, and it is no more. Smiling he hops off the stage, into the black expanse of the orchestra pit, falling into obscurity, melding with the shadows. He'll let the players do their work. These little introductions are more than a bit self-indulgent, after all...

**[Lit Fuse]**

Sayaka stretched, feeling the plugsuit conforming to her body. She liked the color, as the darker blue complemented her hair quite nicely, and curiously matched the glow of her SG-Engine. At first, she had been greatly alarmed by its rather revealing design - skin-tight latex didn't leave much to the imagination - but whoever designed it had been decent enough to place concealing hard plastic sections over the more... _sensitive_ areas. It was a bit alarming that she had to strip completely to wear it, but she had begrudgingly accepted the utilitarian nature of the design. Still she couldn't help but think about it in a less than innocent light. _Geez mom... I get that the Magical Girl genre has a 'secondary demographic', but was all this damned fanservice _really_ necessary?_

She stepped out of the dressing room, noting again that it was curiously partitioned into male and female sections. _So... there are going to be Magical Boys too?_

This whole system was quite different from what she had initially thought. A lot of things were... well, more _realistic,_ she supposed_._ The plugsuit was a good example. Far from the elaborately designed, yet functionally pointless outfits of the typical Magical Girl, the plugsuit's function was to scan her entire body, allowing the support team at NERV to keep an eye on her vital signs and SG-Engine status. It also linked to her SG-Engine, channeling power from the device the rest of her equipment. Speaking of which...

"Next?" Sayaka said, noticing Hitomi's reddening cheeks, Madoka's wide-eyed alarm, and Misato's suppressed chuckle as she noticed the other two. _Yes, I'm going out to fight the Angel and save humanity in a freaking fetish outfit. Don't remind me._

Ritsuko smiled just slightly, noticing the others' reactions as well. "Of course. Follow me." She led Sayaka to a set of alcoves in the wall. Each one had a nameplate above it.

"01, Mami Tomoe," Sayaka read. "02, Kyouko Langley Soryu, 03..."

"Sayaka Ikari," Ritsuko said, indicating the third nameplate, which was blank save for the large black number. "We didn't get the name put up yet, on since you just arrived today."

"Ok," Sayaka said, examining the alcove. It was large enough that she could comfortably fit inside it. It also had handrests, and panels that were clearly designed to accommodate feet. Sayaka tentatively stepped towards it. "So, just step in?"

"Yes," Ritsuko said, her fingers playing across the screen of a PDA pulled from her coat. "Just stand inside and the fitting system will do the rest."

Sayaka complied, and a set of restraints snapped shut over her arms and legs. "Hey! What the hell is this?"

"Relax, it's just to keep you from moving while the machine is fitting your equipment," Ritsuko said, examining her PDA. "The alcove will also tell us how high your synch score with your SG-Engine is, which in turn tells us roughly how powerful you'll be as a Shito Kira."

_"Ikari, Sayaka. Fitting system activated," _said a calm female voice. The sound of mechanical joints filled Sayaka's ears as a large metal backpack was attached to the back of her plugsuit, straps carefully being attached across her shoulders. Then, two thick, armored boots rose up from recesses in the floor, their insides shifting to perfectly conform to her feet. The machine placed a thin headset over her head, composed of a small eyepiece, earpiece, and mouthpiece, all in one and connected to a small socket on the suit's collar.

Ritsuko studied her PDA intently, tapping a set of buttons. The machine said _"Lock released,"_ and did so, the restraints retracting into panels in the alcove. Sayaka found herself stumbling out. At first, she thought the pack would be heavy, but she discovered that it seemed to weigh nothing at all. She did a little spin, finding that the entire system fit her like a glove.

"This is... _amazing!" _she said, hopping from one foot to the other, feeling how perfectly the boots melded with her feet. "How did you get this to fit me so well?"

"The SG-Engine is to blame for that... somehow," Ritsuko said. "Please don't ask me how, that's your mother's field, not mine. Anyhow, your current synch score is 67%. That's not bad, actually. Mami only had 59% her first time."

Sayaka craned her neck, noticing the odd pieces of machinery attached to the sides of her backpack. Each one consisted of of three metal tubes, connected at the ends in a sort of flattened Z pattern. "What are these things?"

"Those..." Ritsuko sighed, facepalming. "Those would be _wings._"

Sayaka held Ritsuko's gaze. "Wings."

"Yes, wings."

Sayaka looked at them, and then back at Ritsuko. "Well... they aren't very... _wingy_ looking."

"That's because they're not unfolded yet," Ritsuko said. "I take it your mother at least told you how to-"

"Oh, yeah!" Sayaka said. "She said that it'd be just like moving my arms or legs, I'd just have to find the muscle. That right?"

"Yes, like that-" Ritsuko was cut off by a whirring sound as Sayaka's wings unfolded. The rods rotated and shifted, extending out behind her to form a skeletal frame that could, if one squinted very hard, be called a pair of wings. Sayaka was less than impressed. Ritsuko stared for a second, muttering "that was fast," under her breath.

"So, this is it?" Sayaka said, craning her neck to try and get a good look at the appendages. "I'm still not really seeing the _'wingyness_._' _"

"That's because they're not turned on yet," Ritsuko said, palming her face again.

"Oh, so I just have to turn them on the same way I unfol-" is what Sayaka began to say, but at that moment she succeeded in activating her wings. A wave of blue fire erupted from the metal frame, propelling her straight up into the ceiling.

There was a general stunned silence. Madoka was the first to draw the obvious conclusion. "Is she...?"

"I'm fine!" a muffled voice called down from the large, person shaped hole that now marred the ceiling of the Incubator room. "I don't know how, but I'm fine! Let me try that again..."

Another jet of blue fire appeared from the ceiling, but this one was much smaller. Slowly, Sayaka began to descend from the hole she had caused. She touched down, and Madoka was immediately at her side. "Did you hurt yourself?"

"I... don't think so..." Sayaka said, as a trickle of blood ran down her face.

"You're bleeding!" Madoka cried, pushing back Sayaka's hair to assess the wound.

"Really? It doesn't hurt..." Sayaka was too stunned to protest as Madoka checked her head for injuries.

"What...?" Madoka pulled back, confused. "There's a lot of blood... but no wound?"

"I think I understand." Ritsuko said, remarkably unfazed by the sudden commotion. "A normal person would have died from an impact like that, but for you, as a Shito Kira, the damage was only minor. Also, it seems that whatever light injuries you suffered healed before you even came back down."

"So... I've got a healing factor?" Sayaka asked.

"It looks that way. We don't have any way of predicting what kind of powers you'll receive from the Incubator, so it's quite possible."

"I've got a healing factor," Sayaka muttered. "Had to get a freaking healing factor.

"Are you... OK, Sayaka?" Madoka asked.

"I've seen enough Baccano to know where this is going," Sayaka said. _Great, of all the possible powers, I get the healing factor. What possible purpose does a healing factor have besides designating you as the one who has to tank all the damage?_

But her mother _had _said that the tropes she was seeing were in there by design. Perhaps she would be able to avert this one. She wouldn't know until she tried. She sighed. "So, I do get some weapons, right?"

"On your backpack," Ritsuko replied. "The hilts are sticking right out, how did you not notice them?"

"I've been a little busy with the whole crashing into the ceiling thing." Sayaka reached back, finding one of the two hilts protruding from the top of her pack. She withdrew one of the weapons, holding it in front of her. It was short and thin, a one edged blade. The cutting edge gleamed a lighter silver than the rest of the blade, and a series of blunt metal plates covered the back. Sayaka didn't see anything particularly special about it at first. It seemed like it lacked reach, and the plates looked unnecessarily heavy, even if the sword felt light in her hand. But as she held it, she felt a strange sensation in her hand. Veinlike wires on the back of her glove began to glow with a blue light. The blade began to hum, and a spark shot up the edge. Sayaka felt the a little bit of herself merging with the weapon, and the lethal power it contained.

Sayaka smiled. "Oh _yes, _this will do _nicely._"

Ritsuko was saying something about how the weapon worked, but Sayaka wasn't exactly paying attention.

The blade... it wasn't just _hers,_ it was an extension of herself. An irremovable part of her very soul resided within the short, solid weapon. Sayaka spun about, making a slicing motion with the blade that was as familiar to her as her very arm. Tendrils of electricity arced across the sword is it cleaved through the air, arcing to the floor and across her body, leaving the air smelling of ozone.

Ritsuko, who had been standing quite close to Sayaka, jumped backwards in alarm. "Be careful with that!"

"Oops." Sayaka said, still enthralled by the blade. "I'll be more careful with this when I'm around people."

"Yes, please put it back in the sheath, if you would," Ritsuko said, eyeing the blade nervously. "If you accidentally grazed someone with that you could take a limb off... or worse."

That put a stop to Sayaka's admiration. "Really?"

"That blade's edge is composed of several thousand microscopically crafted carbon-tungsten 'teeth' that vibrate at an extremely high frequency while active," Ritsuko said. "That alone could cut through a steel girder. But with an SG-Engine attached I'd imagine it would slice the girder in one stroke, probably melt the edges, and possibly turn some of the air in its path to plasma ."

"Wow..." Sayaka said. The blade, perhaps sensing her sudden wariness, stopped humming. She returned it to its sheath, a bit awkwardly, given its placement on the back of the pack. "You think you could put these sheathes somewhere more convenient? At my hips or under my arms, maybe?"

Ritsuko sighed. "I suppose that wouldn't be all that hard to do, but for now you're stuck with what you have."

Sayaka nodded. "So, I think I've got the hang of things..." the room shook as something aboveground crumbled. "And that Angel's not going to slay itself."

"The fitting alcove doubles as a fast deployment elevator," Ritsuko said.

Sayaka stepped into the alcove again, and the restraints snapped back on. "Are these really necessary?"

"The elevator doesn't just go straight up," Ritsuko said, setting the elevator route on her PDA. "If you aren't strapped in, you'll be bouncing around all the way to the top."

"And it's fast?"

"_Very_ fast."

"How fast...?"

"Brace yourself," Ritsuko said. She pressed a series of buttons on her PDA, and a metal grate slammed down across the elevator's exit.

"Sayaka!" Madoka said. Then, her search for words failed. The huge room grew so very silent as the two friends stared at each other through the metal grate.

Hitomi stepped in. "Good luck," she said, flashing Sayaka a knowing smile. "We'll be cheering for you."

Madoka nodded mutely, her worried eyes still locked with Sayaka's.

Ritsuko sighed. "Kids," she muttered, with just a trace of a smile. "Always with the drama and the crying." She hit the final button, and the elevator shot away like a bullet leaving the chamber.

**[The Facts]**

Misato watched the elevator leave, and felt her smile draining away. _Poor Sayaka, she doesn't get it, not yet. She'll have to learn fast._

She shook off that thought. Sayaka would do fine, naïveté notwithstanding. After all, she'd be in radio contact with the command crew the entire time. If it came down to it, they could drop the ground out from beneath the Angel's feet. Or hit it with another N2 mine.

First though, Misato had to get to the bridge. The problem? She and Ritsuko still had two unwanted guests.

"Let us come with you!" Madoka begged, as Ritsuko tried to lead them towards a shelter. "You're going to help Sayaka, right? Let us come too!"

Ritsuko groaned. "_Please, _I need to get you to the shelters and get back up there for data analysis, don't drag this out."

"But she's going out there alone!" Madoka said, "I just want to support my friend."

"You'll get in the way," Ritsuko said, growing more irritated. "The bridge is a _sensitive _location_, _we can't have you two just running around up there."

"Then I'm not going either place."

Madoka, Ritsuko and Misato looked at Hitomi, startled. She was standing between Ritsuko and the elevator door where Misato waited, her arms out. "I'm not going to the shelter, and I'm not going to let you get to the bridge either."

"Hitomi, what?" Madoka said, suddenly very alarmed. "What are you..."

"Miss Akagi, you're highly important to this organization," Hitomi said, her voice making it clear that it wasn't really a question. "So you're going to want to get to the bridge pretty fast."

"Which I need to do to help your friend," Ritsuko said. "Now move, we need to hurry, the shelter is pretty far and like you just said, I need to be up there."

"And given that you're the one who is taking us, Miss Katsuragi is also very important," Hitomi said, dismissing the previous statement. "Neither of you can afford to waste this time."

"Hitomi, what are you doing?" Madoka asked. "I want to go with them, but they need to help Sayaka even more!"

"If you can't afford to waste this time," Hitomi continued, "then it stands to reason that it would be better if you went up there _right now,_ with or without us in tow. We're not toddlers; we're high school students. We can stand quietly in a corner if we need to."

"...You have a point," Ritsuko grudgingly conceded.

"Then what are we waiting for? Hitomi said, turning on her heel and stepping rapidly toward Misato, who was staring at her with a tiny grin.

"I'm keeping an eye on you, Shizuki," Misato chuckled as the elevator doors closed behind the party.

"Please!" Hitomi said, smiling innocently. "Just call me Hitomi!"

**[Her Analysis]**

Homura touched down on a hilltop overlooking Tokyo-3. One of her unusual companions was sitting on the grass, watching the Angel as it advanced. "Nice piece," Shinji said, glancing at the machine gun as Homura dropped it into the grass next to her.

"It will suffice," Homura said, curtly. The sun was setting, and the angel's elongated shadow danced across the city, seeming far more animated than the Angel's slow trudge.

"So, that girl is safe?" Shinji asked, his eyes turning back towards the Angel.

"She will live." Homura replied, sitting down on the dry grass. "Mami Tomoe was stronger than most Puella Magi, I have seen her lose multiple limbs before and keep fighting."

"In your 'past lives?'"

"In at least four," Homura said. "The only things that have ever verifiably killed her were the destruction of her Soul Gem, or decapitation."

"I see Akemi's Morbid as usual," Touji said, approaching them from behind, holding two bottles of water.

"You try living through your best friend's death several hundred times," Homura said, accepting the water with a quiet "thank you." Even a Shito Kira still needed to eat and drink.

"That's probably the most aggressive thing I've ever heard you say," Touji said, smiling. "Progress! Stop caring what the goddamned world thinks and you'll be a lot happier. Rule number one of being certifiably crazy."

"Where did Miss Soryu and Miss Ayanami go?" Homura asked.

"They're watching from another vantage point right now," Shinji said. "Why?"

"I merely wished to speak to Miss Soryu," Homura said. "I had a few questions for her."

"What sort of questions?" Shinji asked.

"Shinji, leave the girl alone, will ya?" Touji said, flopping back onto the grass with a sigh. "If she wants to ask Asuka some questions, let the girl ask her damn questions. Why should you care?"

"Alright, alright. Back to more important matters," Shinji said, "when is that other girl going to show up to fight the Angel? You were awfully vague about that, Akemi."

"To be honest, I do not actually know that she is going to appear," Akemi said, sipping her water.

Touji and Shinji just stared at her for about three seconds

"Wait..." Shinji began.

"Akemi... there's a limit to how much fuckin' crazy is good for you," Touji said. "Letting the Angel walk through the city unimpeded...?"

"Trust me." Akemi said, still watching the Angel, which had stopped moving. "I have what you might call a 'hunch.'"

And as she spoke, a bright blue spark shot into the sky.

**[Open the War]**

There weren't any words that could be accurately used to describe the sensation Sayaka felt as she left the elevator. "Exhilarating" seemed like a good choice, but the sunset on the horizon, the shining cityscape glinting golden below her... the word was lost. _I'm flying! _Sayaka thought as she went into an aileron roll._ I'm actually flying!_

The wings on her back had become true wings, their metal frames emitting magnificent diamond patterns of blue fire. They propelled her towards the sky at accelerations that by all rights should have torn the pack right off her back. Yet, the SG-Engine made the impossible possible once again, and Sayaka barely even felt the acceleration.

She tested out her wings, feeling the movements and learning the possible combinations. A light push for hovering, a harder one with a couple of twists for moving at moderate speeds, and then a sort of "squeeze" to go even faster. She whittled away almost twenty seconds like this, when suddenly a voice in her ear startled her out of her euphoric daze. _"Sayaka! Focus!"_ Misato said through the earpiece.

"Wha? Sorry, sorry!" Sayaka wheeled, still getting the hang of maneuvering. It was still only late afternoon, but a wave of storm clouds had blown in from the sea, casting the fortress-city into twilight. In this "I see the Angel, and I'm ready to engage."

She did see the Angel, and it was quite different from the momentary, distant, low angled glimpses she'd had before. It's height, for instance, had never been quite so easily measured. Of the buildings that hadn't been retracted into the GeoFront, none came up to the Angel's shoulder. It had stopped moving, and its hollow eyes seemed to be watching Sayaka...

**[Open the War Part 2(Angelic Angle)]**

...which was, of course, because Sachiel _was_ watching the strange new creature that had just appeared before him.

It was weaker than the one from before, the one he had swatted down so easily, but it was also very similar.

But not _the same._ The two were the same type of being, but were otherwise completely different, on the surface and within. What were these things? Nothing Sachiel knew of had this kind of rampant individuality, besides his siblings and himself. The unimportant alien animals that they had occasionally encountered did not have anywhere near this level of complexity or uniqueness.

Sachiel's curiosity got the better of him. He reached out with his mind, stretching his consciousness toward the odd creature that flew in the sky.

_WHAT ARE YOU?_

Then, the creature dove...

**[Devils... Angels...]**

...slamming into the street. Sayaka gasped, trying to breathe through the intense pressure that suddenly surrounded her. She felt a massive, throbbing headache, and an incoherent voice boomed in her head.

_W̡̢͢͠H̸͟A̕͢Ţ̨͢͠ ̴͏A̢͘͝͏Ŕ̛E̸͞ ̵̨̛͠Y͢͟O̶͝҉U̷̸͟͢͝?̶̵̸͠_

It wasn't really a _voice, _so much as a desynchronized symphony, or perhaps an amplifier turned up too high, distorting the meaning of the words until they were incomprehensible. There was no accurate way to describe the sound it made in Sayaka's head, except that it hurt more than anything Sayaka had ever felt in her life.

She tried to shake off the mental voice, instinctively trying to shut it out of her mind. The voice continued on, repeating the same cacophony over and over.

_Ẁ̸̡͞͞H̨̡̛͢Ą̵̢̕͜T̴͞͏ ͢͏̡͜A̶̷̸̢R̀҉E̶̷͡͡ ̶̡̢͠Y̵̵̕Ó̵̕͢͢Ù̧͘͜?̸̶͢͝_

_"Sayaka!" _it was Misato, talking through Sayaka's earpiece. _"What's the situation up there?"_

"Aaagh..." Sayaka groaned, grabbing at her head as the pain intensified. "The... the Angel..."

Suddenly, it was Ritsuko's voice coming through the headset. _"Sayaka, are you alright?"_

"I'm not..." Sayaka struggled to speak, as the Angel's queries continued to chip away at her stamina. "The Angel... it's got s-some kind of ps-psychic attack...! I don't think I can keep this up much longer..."

**[Angel... Monster... Part 2 (Ground Crew)]**

On the NERV Command Bridge, data was flooding in from Sayaka's suit, most of it not good.

"Sayaka, do you have direct visual contact with the Angel?" Ritsuko asked, simultaneously running through years of test data in her mind. _Psychic attacks? That's not supposed to happen. That isn't even supposed to be _possible.

_"It's s-staring at me," Sayaka said. _Her breathing was coming fast and her heart was beating at a rate that suggested intense exercise. Her body temperature was also increasing.

"Try breaking eye contact. Is the feeling any less intense?"

_"N...no." _

Ritsuko moved quickly to Maya Ibuki's station, ignoring the startled operator as she pulled up the schematics for Tokyo-3's defense network. "Sayaka, I'm raising a barrier between you and the Angel."

_"Wha...?"_

"Focus," Ritsuko said, as she ordered the huge metal panel to rise from the street. "Does the feeling disappear when the _Angel's _eye contact is broken?"

Sayaka gasped. _"No... but it's much weaker now..."_

**[Angel... Monster... Part 3 (Moving Ground?)]**

What Sayaka and NERV didn't realize was that the assault hadn't been an assault at all. Sachiel had tried to communicate as he would have to his siblings, and in the process he had nearly fried poor Sayaka's brain. Of course, he didn't realize this either. The reason he had broken his concentration was not that his eyes had lost contact with the tiny creature, but that the very ground itself had just risen up.

What madness was this? First these bizarre creatures, and now the very ground had started to move? What had happened on this planet while Sachiel and his siblings had slept?

**[Malebolge]**

Sayaka caught her breath as more and more of the Angel's attention went elsewhere. _Holy shit... so that's what it feels like to have something try to invade your brain?_ The disgust she felt slowly began shifting, turning into a rising, white-hot wave of anger.

_"Sayaka, we're reading stabilizing vital signs, are you alright?" _Ritsuko asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine, just really fucking angry."

_"...what?"_

Sayaka couldn't think clearly enough to answer, the pain still fresh in her head. She shuddered as more and more rage started building within her. The sun had finally disappeared behind the horizon, and a storm was rolling in from the sea with improbable speed. Sayaka started to quiver, as a distant bolt of lightning sent a peal of thunder down her spine. "Hey, can I go after it now?"

_"Hang on a second, what are you talking about?"_

"I'm gonna kill that thing. That's my job, right?"

_"Sayaka, are your sure you're alright?"_

"Miss Akagi? I'm not sure I can stop myself. Are you going to let me go or am I going to start out my first mission by going off without an order?"

_"Sayaka!" _it was Misato this time. _"Calm down, what happened?"_

"That thing just forced itself into my head, into my thoughts. It hurt like hell. I'm pissed."

_"Look, you need to calm down, you're not thinking clearly."_

"I'm thinking perfectly clearly," Sayaka said, flexing her wings. "I'm thinking that Angel is about to die."

There was a commotion behind the microphone, and suddenly it was Madoka who was speaking. _"Sayaka!" _she begged. _"Please! Calm down, you're not yourself right now!"_

Then Sayaka did something that she never would have if her self-control wasn't completely broken; she laughed. "Madoka, Madoka, Madoka... I'm not myself anymore, remember?"

_"W...what?"_

"I'm not 'Sayaka Ikari, Japanese schoolgirl otaku' anymore," Sayaka felt the fire rising in the SG-Engine on her navel, and let it bleed back into her wings as a new wave of anger crashed against her thoughts. "I'm a SHITO KIRA. I'm a goddamned ANGEL SLAYER, and I'm going to do my job. I'm going to MOTHERFUCKING SLAY that MOTHERFUCKING ANGEL."

A blue inferno ignited behind Sayaka, and she was rising above the metal barrier. Her swords slid from their sheathes into her hands, their edges glowing white as the SG-Engine simultaneously overclocked them and maintained their integrity. Electric current arced across them, mirroring the rapidly advancing storm.

Sayaka didn't notice her SG-Engine's stored up power level decrease as this happened, but it shot down to 82%, before slowly beginning to climb back up.

**[Malebolge Part 2 (Off the Scale)]**

On the Command Bridge, Ritsuko was noticing a very different statistic.

Maya was the one who voiced it first. "Sempai... her synchronization..."

"I see it, Ibuki," Ritsuko said, swallowing. "108%. Right past the theoretical threshold."

Misato forced her way between them. "Wait a second... that's not supposed to happen, right?"

"Misato?" Ritsuko said. "You know how in movies the scientists always shout 'the readings are off the scale'?"

"You mean..."

"The readings," Ritsuko said, deadpan, "are off the goddamn scale."

**[Malebolge Part 3 (Observers)]**

Sayaka shot into the sky once more, a streak of brilliant blue. Then, she altered her course, and plunged headlong towards the Angel, arms extended in front of her, swords gripped in her hands extended toward the Angel.

Homura didn't smile as she watched her hunch confirmed. Being right wasn't a good thing, not here. Granted, most of this _could_ still be chalked up as coincidence, if one assumed that all the laws of probability had been completely broken down.

Shinji didn't even seem surprised. He just sighed and shook his head. "Akemi, you've got some explaining to do."

"In my world," Homura explained, "Sayaka Miki was an extremely... _volatile_ Puella Magi. Her overall powers were nothing special, but her ability to receive and recover from damage was incredible. Additionally, her fighting style is easily recognizable; she will attack at random, with no style or form to speak of, often going straight for her targets' centers regardless of any obstacles in her path. If the Shito Kira over there displays those traits, it will confirm several... disturbing hypotheses."

"So?" Shinji asked. "That fighting style is basically what I did. It's basically what _all_ EVA pilots did. Just because one other person happens to fight like that doesn't mean anything."

"Yeah, and what makes you think that person is Sayaka anyway?" Touji asked. "We're at least two kilometers away; we can't exactly see her face from here."

"Mami was a Puella Magi, and now she is a Shito Kira," Homura said. "I thought that was far too strange a coincidence, with me already being part of the program, especially given that I am something of a failed subject, not unlike my role in the previous world." She paused, watching Sayaka's AT Field manifesting. Blue. Blue as the ocean, just as she had feared. "But there is another correlation that worries me even more."

"What do you mean, Akemi?" Shinji asked.

"All the Puella Magi had thematic colors. It was something that I wondered about early on, before I discovered how the whole system was engineered." Akemi watched as the blue speck impacted the Angel's chest, and the AT Fields collided; one the normal reddish-orange, the other bright blue. "Mine was purple, Mami's was gold, and Sayaka's..."

"Sayaka's was blue, wasn't it?" Shinji asked, watching again as the improbably colored AT-Field merged with the Angel's. Homura didn't answer. She didn't need to.

Touji picked up the logical thread after a few seconds. "So, not only did you all end up in the same alternate world, in the same super-soldier program... but your thematic color schemes transferred over too?" His face froze in contemplation. "The fuck?"

"It means," Homura said, grimacing as the implications _really_ hit her. "That this entire scenario is just as artificial as the one engineered by the Incubators. And whoever the mastermind is, they know who we used to be."

**[L'Agresseur]**

Sayaka didn't really understand how she was controlling her AT-Field. She just let her rage control her movements. It was natural, the motions of bringing the Field into existence, synchronizing it with the Angel's, and then merging with it. She felt herself gaining control of the altered space, and with a single stroke tore the fields asunder.

It was strange. As the fields fell apart, Sayaka felt strangely exposed, almost as if her clothing had melted away with the field. She dismissed it, feeling the press of the plugsuit against her skin. The Angel was what occupied her focus now. It was the enemy. It had tried to violate her mind. It would DIE.

The Angel waved its hand, trying to swat Sayaka away. She dodged under it, feeling the natural motion of her wings, as the segmented metallic frames spun in complicated patterns, shooting jets of fire at multiple angles, keeping her flying always in the direction she wanted to go.

She dodged around the Angel's hand, and dove at its chest. She stretched her arms out, letting more and more power flow into the blades as they grew hotter and hotter. She thought, for a brief second, that she should probably hold her breath.

And then she plunged in. Through Angelic muscle and flesh, through bizarre cavernous spaces that were probably organs of some kind, through more muscle flesh and even bone, and out the other side. As she tore through the Angel, Sayaka felt something in her head, not an incomprehensible voice, but a scream of pain, resonating within her skull. It took less than a second to pass through, like a bullet through the Angel's chest.

She realized she was covered in blood, in her hair, on her suit, dripping from her wings' frames and evaporating as it hit the flames. She gasped, feeling the scream rapidly vanish. "What... what?"

_"Sayaka!" _Ritsuko called. _"What the hell just happened?"_

"I...I just... what did I just...?"

Sayaka didn't manage to finish her question, because at that point the Angel caught her.

**[L'Agresseur Part 2 (Le Défenseur)]**

It hurt. It hurt so much, unlike anything Sachiel had ever felt before. He reeled, feeling the creature pass through him, emanating waves of malice as it went. He didn't have mouth with which to adequately approximate a scream, but he roared through the breathing vents on his hips, as loudly as his gigantic lungs would allow. He wheeled about, coming to face the creature, and brought his hand whirling behind him.

He caught the creature, closing his clawed hand around it tightly.

_YOU WILL DIE. YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO ME._

He let the words flow into the creature's mind, and felt it struggle. Good, it could feel pain as well. What sort of pathetic beast had the _audacity_ to injure a Son of Adam? The worthless thing had to die. It had to die a screaming death.

Sachiel felt his palm growing hot, plasma forming within his arm. He let it build for a moment...

**[L'Agresseur Part 3 (Les Observateurs)]**

"Holy shit..." Touji said, watching the spear protruding from the Angel's elbow begin to glow pinkish-white, turning to plasma as it pulled back to strike. "Uh... Akemi? Don't you think you should go help her?"

"No," said Homura. "I have never been able to save Sayaka Miki before. It is extremely unlikely I will be able to do so now."

"So, you're just going to let her die?" Shinji said, his voice suddenly emanating cold fury. Something about him changed. He was angry, incredibly so, and he wasn't trying to hide it. "She's one of your friends, isn't she? And you're going to let her die?"

"I don't think you understand, Shinji Ikari," Homura said, quietly, as the Angel made its first blow. "Although I might have once considered Sayaka Miki my friend, she has died in almost every single timeline. It is more than likely that she will die here. I have long since severed any emotional connection I had to her."

Shinji glared at her, refusing to back down. "So you're just going to give up?"

"If she is fated to die tonight, then I will not interfere," Homura said, watching the Angel, which had grown still. "If she is not, then I will not need to."

Touji was sitting on the grass now, hand stroking his chin. His eyes widened, and he mouthed that familiar expletive. "Wait just a goddamned second... you're acting like this is all based on _your_ fucking world, Akemi."

"Pardon?"

"It's all about you; the Puella Magi, the Incubators, even the goddamned theme colors... but the thing is..."

Shinji's eyes widened as he realized what Touji was saying. "The Angels were _our _enemies, not yours. I won this fight, when it was me in the EVA. If this is by design... _especially_ if this is by design, then Sayaka won't die here."

Homura glanced over at them. "...That is a very interesting point. Very well, how did you win this battle, Shinji Ikari?"

Shinji looked back at the Angel's hand, which seemed to be trembling. The Angel's spear grew hot again, pulling back to slam into its palm. Appropriately enough, a bolt of lightning blasted across the sky.

"The EVA and I... went berserk."

**[L'Agresseur Part 4 (Les Supporters et Le Puissant)]**

The bridge crew was frantically attempting to determine Sayaka's status, but her transmitter wasn't penetrating the Angel's hand. They were in the dark.

Madoka would have been screaming Sayaka's name into the microphone in a panic, if a sudden pain in her head hadn't driven her to the floor. Madoka looked up, seeing the Angel holding Sayaka in its closed fist, preparing to boil her in her own fluids... and she somehow knew that Sayaka was going to be just fine. She also knew that what was about to happen next was going to make everything much, much worse.

She pulled herself to her feet, as quickly as she could. _I have to stop her! Please Sayaka, stop! This can't happen, this isn't right!_

Misato had the microphone, and was repeatedly asking Sayaka if she was alright. Madoka reached for it. "Miss... Miss Katsuragi... please!"

**[Carnage]**

_Who am I? Sayaka Ikari._

_What am I? Very, very angry. Very, very hurt._

_Where am I? In the hands of an Angel, being burned alive._

_What can I do about it?_

Well that was obvious. Sayaka Ikari was angry and hurt, and she was in close proximity to the thing that had caused both. Sayaka Ikari was quickly losing all her inhibitions as far as wanton violence was concerned. And Sayaka Ikari had one of the greatest power sources in the universe embedded in her body.

The Angel's fire pulled back, rearing for another strike. It gave Sayaka all the time she needed.

Her skin had been burned off, as had much of her muscle and some of her nervous system. Fine, she had a healing factor, she could just grow them back. The Angel was in her head, shouting eldritch obscenities at her. Fine, she would just ignore it.

Her swords were still in her hands, partly melted and gripped by bony fingers as her skin slid back over them. Her plugsuit remained in the form of the wires, which survived because of the SG-Engine's power flowing directly through them. Soon, new material began to grow from the fragments that remained on her back, less damaged by the Angel's front-focused attack.

She reached out, and easily cut a hole in the Angel's hand, lopping off a massive finger in a single slice. The anger in the Angel's overpowering communications turned to screams of pain and terror, as its palm grew hot again.

It plasma fire filled the Angel's palm, but Sayaka was already escaping through the gap. Out, with a trail of blue flame, now overflowing in ragged patterns behind her. Her eyes, having just healed themselves were wide, glowing with feral intensity. Her mouth was spread into a wide grin, aided in part by the fact that her lips hadn't entirely grown back yet. Her hair as well, was growing back slowly, shimmering as energy from her SG-Engine trickled through it. Her communicator had been protected by the power running through it, and was still receiving Ritsuko and Misato's desperate requests as to Sayaka's status.

Then, of course, she did the one thing that instantly cemented that she had completely lost her mind from the pain and the invasion of her psyche. She began to _cackle._

**[Carnage Part 2 (Damage Control)]**

The NERV Command crew were largely in the dark. They could see all the readings, but none of them made any sense anymore. Sayaka's Synchronization was at 192%, and her stored up power was at _-12%,_ somehow.

Her body had died. For a brief instant while she was being cooked in a plasma fueled inferno, all of her vitals had flatlined, except for brain activity. Even her SG-Engine numbers had dropped almost to zero. But then, the bars all went up. The SG-Engine's two scores had crossed known thresholds, one up and one down.

Ritsuko was completely at a loss as to what to make of the data. Misato didn't care, but knew perfectly well what the sound of Sayaka's laughter over the connection meant.

"Ritsuko," Misato said calmly, staring directly at the camera feed on the main monitor, "we need to figure out a way to calm her down, or she's not going to survive this."

"But I don't... these numbers are _insane_!" Ritsuko slammed her fist on the terminal, shaking. "I don't know what happened to the Engine, I don't know what happened to _her..._ These numbers are completely impossible!"

"Dammit Ritsu! Focus!" Misato yelled, barely restraining herself from slapping her friend. "The data can wait, Sayaka is going to _die _if we don't figure out how to stabilize her condition!"

"You're right..." Ritsuko said, her eyes skimming the data that was now feeding in from the newly reconstructed plugsuit. She started talking very, very fast. "I think I know what's happening. Somehow, her increased synchronization is causing her SG-Engine's baseline power reserves to increase beyond what we've calibrated the suit to pick up. I don't know how, but that's pretty much standard for an Engine, although I'd _love _to know how the thing could screw up a _percentage _gauge like that. There _is_ theoretical basis for a synch score that high, but the amount of energy running through the Engine at even 103% should give her a fever. At almost twice the known limit? Her blood should be boiling. Which means..." Ritsuko slammed her fist into her palm. "Her regenerative powers! They must be keeping her body functional while regenerating destroyed tissue..."

"Ok, good," Misato said, "now how do we help her?"

"Well... Ritusko checked the readouts again. "Her reserve power is decreasing steadily, and I can't be sure of how far down it will go. We need to cool her off before they drop to whatever the recalibrated zero is. The documentation we have indicates that whatever happens when the reserve runs out is bad. Very bad."

"So how do we 'cool her off'?"

"We don't."

The two women stopped mid-conversation, their eyes moving back to the "throne" elevated above the rest of the bridge, to Gendo Ikari.

"Commander Ikari, sir," Misato said, through clenched teeth, "your daughter is going to _kill_ herself!"

"We do not know that for certain," Gendo said, his voice flat. "All we know is that she has exceeded the known limits of her powers. We have no data to indicate this will detrimental to her health."

"But even so, sir... her mental state-" Ritsuko began.

"-I am fully aware of her condition," Gendo said. "The Angel's neutralization is our priority, and we have no other practical method besides Sayaka. Her safety is a secondary concern."

"Stop! Just... STOP!" all eyes turned to Madoka, who was leaning on a terminal, clutching her head. Unnoticed by all but Gendo and Ritsuko, a pink arc of electricity momentarily shot across her hair. "Sayaka... she isn't in trouble, but we _**have**_ to stop her!"

Misato placed her hand on Madoka's shoulder. Recoiling when she realized Madoka's arm was as hot as an oven. "What the... are you alright Kaname?"

"Yes... no... It doesn't matter!" Madoka shouted, with a ferocity that made Misato jump. Another spark arced over her head. "We can't kill the Angel, if we do, everything is just going to get worse!"

"Kaname, if we don't kill the Angel, then-" Ritsuko started.

"Wait a moment," Gendo interrupted. "Madoka Kaname, how do you know this?"

Madoka opened her mouth to answer, but she realized that she didn't know how she knew. She just _knew,_ just like she knew before that Mami had been safe. The other three watched her, unnerved and confused, the same thought running through all of their heads: _What just happened to Kaname?_

"Uh, sorry to interrupt..."

All attentions were turned to Operator Makoto Hyuga, who flinched at the sudden attention.

"Um..." he pointed at the main screen, his finger trembling with nervous shock. It was at this point that Misato noticed Maya, doubled over in her chair, her hands clasped over her head, and her breathing quick and panicked, Shigeru, who's incredulous, horrified stare was directed towards the screen, and finally Hitomi, who was simply watching the events with wide-eyed, openmouthed terror.

"I think..." Makoto said, his voice shaking as the rest of the bridge staff began to take in the scene of absolute carnage on the screen before them.

"I think the fight's over."

**[Carnage Part 3 (Rage State)]**

As the argument regarding her welfare broke out among the NERV command staff, Sayaka Ikari began her attack on the Third Angel. The Angel actually attacked first. It tried to swat her again, perhaps intending to mash her against the pavement below.

But of course, Sayaka was too fast. Before the Angelic fingers could come down, she had already chopped off the arm that held them. The Angel's limb fell to the street, and dark red ichor sprayed from its stump.

Sayaka was still cackling, barely even aware of what she was doing, letting the pain and rage and SG-Engine amplified adrenaline run rampant through her brain. The Angel had to die. That was all she thought.

The Angel reared back, retreating several blocks before releasing a purple beam of light from its mask. The beam didn't hit Sayaka directly, it merely grazed her, thanks in part to her abnormally high speed. However, even as the beam exploded into a brilliant glowing cross behind her, Sayaka realized its effect. She didn't feel much, being in a state of mind which no one would call "sane," but a part of her, amid the rage and fear, noticed.

The beam blew her right arm completely off.

Now, there are a number of ways to react to such an event. The perfectly rational way might be to stay calm and try to find a way to stop the bleeding if the wound wasn't completely cauterized, or at least retreat quickly and try to recover. The _human_ way would be to scream at the top of one's lungs, while rolling on the ground as the incredible pain took over from all thought. The anime character way would be to crouch, grunt in pain, and then stand back up glaring intensely, sans arm.

Sayaka Ikari's way was none of those. Sayaka Ikari screamed, lit her wings brighter than they had ever been before, and then plunged straight into the Angel's newer mask, causing cracks to spread across the surface, and knocking the Angel off balance. The Angel stumbled and fell onto a office building, creating a great cloud of dust which enveloped several blocks. Sayaka held on, stabbing and stabbing and stabbing with her one remaining sword. The stump that remained of her right arm began to change, bulging out as a new arm began to slowly form.

The Angel tried to fire again, but Sayaka was too close, and the beam manifested behind her, shooting up into the clouds. The Angel tried to grab her with the arm that hadn't been sliced off, but it too was blinded by pain. Its arm came down hard on the side of the cracked mask, shattering it into dozens of pieces. Sayaka flew up into the sky, whirling once more to face the Angel, lining up her final strike on its core.

**[Carnage Part 4 (I don't understand)]**

Sachiel was in too much pain to think. What was the creature? How was it this strong? Its power had jumped higher and higher as it fought, and its raw viciousness had felled him. What was it? Was it another Angel, of a different lineage? Was it some _other_ type ofbeing, not derived from Adam at all?

But those thoughts were vague. Sachiel couldn't focus on them, because he was in so much pain that his senses were blurred. He wasn't even angry anymore. Just confused and afraid.

_WHAT ARE YOU?_ He screamed into the dark.

And, against all logic, the thing answered in a voice like thunder.

"I am _**Sayaka Ikari**_. I am a _**Shito Kira**_. Fear me, for I am the living instrument of your _**death**_."

_Shito Kira?_ So that was what the creatures called themselves?

Sachiel might have been one of the youngest Angels, and one of the most prideful, but he was not stupid. He knew that he was probably going to die. He didn't want to, he wasn't going to accept it peacefully, but that was his reality. He also knew that, most likely, this Shito Kira was going to survive.

And his siblings would come to find out what happened to him, to this place, to Adam's signal.

So, he did the last thing he had strength for. He sent out a warning. Not a call for help, but a request that the rest of his siblings stay away.

_IT IS NOT SAFE HERE. FEAR THE ONES CALLED __**SHITO KIRA. **__FEAR THE ONE CALLED __**SAYAKA IKARI. THEY ARE DEATH TO US. **_

_**DO NOT TRY TO SAVE ME. **_

_**STAY FAR AWAY FROM HERE.**_

And then, Sayaka Ikari found his core.

**[Rain]**

Sayaka crashed into the red sphere, no longer laughing. She had heard the voice while crushing the Angel's face, clearly for the first time. Yes, she was this Angel's death, and now it was time to finish the kill.

She wasn't sure why she hadn't gone for the giant core in the first place. It was so _obviously_ the Angel's weak point, that she just couldn't imagine why she had tried to attack anywhere else first. She must not have been thinking clearly... yes, that must have been it.

She brought her sword up, gripping it with both her right hand and her newly reformed left hand. She straddled the core, feeling the dull warmth of it sink into her legs.

"It's time to die, Angel," she said, not really thinking.

She stabbed down into the core, and a bolt of lightning hit her, drawn from the clouds. The electricity flowed through Sayaka, through the sword, and into the Angel. The Angel squirmed, massive limbs flailing, leveling any building within reach. And, even as the Angel screamed in pain, it spoke.

_STOP._

_I DoN'T WANT TO DIE._

She heard it, but didn't realize what it meant. She pulled her sword free from the hole, cracks now spreading like spider webs across the red surface, and plunged it in again. Lightning roared again, coursing through her veins, and the Angel spoke again.

_StoP._

_I don't WAnT to DIe._

She felt a sudden wetness on her cheek. When had it started raining? She pulled out the sword and stabbed again, feeling a choking reaction from the Angel, as if it couldn't speak any more. The Angel stopped moving, SG-Engine enhanced lightning having burned out its nerves. Right before the final strike, as Sayaka lifted the sword for the last time, Sayaka started to realize what the Angel's desperate pleas had meant. _"Wait a minute... stop... stop!"_ she heard herself say.

But she didn't stop. Instead, she rammed the sword deep into the Angel's core.

_stop_

_i don't want to die_

_please_

Sayaka heard the Angel's last words, clearly this time, and this time no lighting came. The rage that had been powering her faded, and she realized where she was. She was straddling the Angel's core, which had faded from red to dull grey. She was covered in its blood, which mingled with the blue on her plugsuit, making it seem a strange purple hue. It was raining, little streams running across her body, trying ineffectively to cut through the blood. Someone was shouting in her ear, maybe Madoka, maybe Misato or Ritsuko, maybe her mother, or maybe someone else entirely. It didn't matter because she wasn't listening.

She found that she was shaking. _Why? What's wrong? What did I do wrong? I killed the Angel, right? I saved the world, right? That wasn't... no, it couldn't have been. The Angel was a monster, right?_

_Right?_

But that wasn't right, and Sayaka realized it as she pulled her sword from the grey sphere. "No... no please god no..."

She didn't think. Acting on instinct, she stabbed again, feeling her newfound powers draining into her sword. "Don't die... please!" she cried feebly, numb to the mix of rain and tears running down her face, the blood staining her hands. "Please, don't die!" she said, forcing more and more of herself into the sword, not knowing if it would work but also too distraught to care. She had to try. A pulse of red lit the core for a moment, but it faded to grey again just as fast. "Take my life!" Sayaka cried, "It's right there! It's in the sword!" Sayaka forced another burst of energy into the Angel, and the core lit again, just for the briefest moment. "I'll put it all there!" Sayaka screamed, feeling herself growing dizzy. "Take it! Take it all!" She felt her consciousness fading as she tried to force her life into the Angel's body one last time. "Please...!"

But it didn't work. Her strength gave out, and she found herself losing her grip on her sword. She lost her balance, and toppled, sliding down the Angel's core, tumbling across its slanted chest. She rolled off into the air, numbly realizing that there was nothing but the street below her. Thoughts kept running through her head in recursive, nonsensical patterns. _This isn't right. This can't be right. The first battle can't end like this. It's too dark. It's too violent. It's too grim._ And a voice in her head answered her, the words dripping with malicious glee.

"Oh Sayaka, there's nothing wrong here. You just misjudged the genre!"

Sayaka had just enough time to realize that someone had spoken before her head hit the pavement.

* * *

><p><strong>[Rain on... rain on...]<strong>

Note: All those little boxes with the weird little titles? They now correspond to a song. In order:

Dead Shuffle: Homestuck OST (Midnight Crew: Drawing Dead)

Lit Fuse: Ace Combat 5 OST

The Fact: Ace Combat 6 OST

His Analysis: Ace Combat 6 OST

Open the War: Ace Combat 5 OST

Devils... Monsters...: Halo 1 OST

Malebolge: Ace Combat 6 OST

L'Agresseur: Evangelion 2.0 OST

Carnage: Evangelion 2.0 OST

Rain: Cowboy Bebop OST

-Yeah... I like the Ace Combat OSTs... so sue me. There'll be more variety in the future.

**Review Please!**

**Note: This "soundtrack" thing was an experiment, and as such, I need data. Leave feedback. Is this GOOD? BAD? Is it a good idea that I executed horribly? As long as your comment isn't stupid, then I'll gladly hear it. Also, stop asking me about plot details. All will be revealed in due course. I wouldn't be able to keep you reading if I spoiled all the wonderful twists I have planned, now would I? ;)**

**P.S. That partly includes who characters are in their own canon, but I'll tell you that Maxwell Church used to be named Leonard Church. The main problem with that was that there are two Leonard Church's in his story, and they're both in this one. The reasoning in the original isn't going to work here, so L. Church Sr. got a name change. (Fun fact, my brother is a little confused that I used his name for the future President of the US.)**

**P.P.S. Should have thought of that strategy when it came to Kyo(u)ko, but hey, those names are in there now and I'm sick of retcons.**


	6. Supplemental Data: The Incubator File

Below is a transcript of the file given to Yui Ikari by the individual known only as _F_. regarding the Incubators. Certain sensitive details have been redacted for security purposes. Otherwise, this is the unaltered document present on the USB drive she received.

* * *

><p>First, I must thank you for accepting my offer, Yui Ikari. I promise that you will not come to regret this choice.<p>

The devices which I have delivered are called "Incubators." They cannot be reproduced, and I am confident there is little data you could retrieve by studying them. Consider them a Black Box technology, as that is essentially what they are designed to be.

This manual is not a complete description of the Incubators or their abilities. There are functions within them that are not included here, some of which may subvert the ones that are described, and some of which I simply glossed over or even overlook. The Incubators are very intricate devices, and their deep layers of programming are difficult to make sense of, and may contain code that is potentially dangerous.. For the most part however, unless the incubators are actively [redacted], these functions will never manifest.

The device requires an initial "priming" to function. Before it can be put to use, one living, physically adult human being (henceforth to be referred to as the "controller") must be placed inside as an operator. This is facilitated by having the controller stand beneath the incubator, and applying an electric current to its surface. Sitting, lying down, etc. are acceptable, although if the controller is restrained the process may either not work or the controller may be badly harmed, depending on the nature of the restraints. That is to say, if they are strapped to the floor, the Incubator cannot act upon them, but if they are handcuffed to a railing or something similar, whichever bond is weakest will be torn, be it the railing's connection to the ground or the controller's wrist to the handcuff. Note that no physical handicap will affect a controller's eligibility for this procedure, although it is recommended that the controller be mentally "normal" or even "gifted," as they are being placed in control of an extremely advanced process. The controller will be fully conscious within the Incubator, and have awareness of the incubator's immediate surroundings. They may go to "sleep" if they so desire, although it will not be necessary for their health. In addition, they will not need to eat or eliminate waste, nor any other bodily function. Once the controller is fully within the Incubator, retrieval will be impossible. Communication between the controller and outside personnel should be possible, as the Incubator's surface is capable of receiving and emitting electromagnetic waves. However, you will have to discover it on your own. It will be very difficult and I have not attempted it.

The primary function of the Incubator is to create devices called SG-Engines. I will not describe them at length, as, unlike the Incubator itself, they are quite easy to study. However, their creation is a sensitive procedure, and I feel it is necessary to shed some light upon it.

To create a SG-Engine, a living, physically adolescent human being (henceforth to be referred to as the "subject") must stand underneath the incubator. (The same instructions regarding "standing" listed above apply.) The controller will then be able to initiate the procedure by their own intent, after which the Incubator's internal programming will take over. The subject will emerge from the incubator after a variable length of time, most likely from two minutes to one hour, although in certain cases the process may take much longer; upwards of twenty-four hours.

Once the subject has emerged, their body will have been altered in three very specific ways, and one that is variable from case to case. First, any major injuries will be healed. This does not include certain things, such as scars or organs removed via medical procedure, such as appendices, tonsils, second kidneys, etc. Missing permanent teeth will be replaced. Wisdom teeth will not. Missing limbs will be replaced. Missing or damaged sensory organs will be repaired. Most diseases (genetic and otherwise) will be cured. Superficial problems such as acne will not be cured. The process which causes these effects can only be used once on a given subject, and cannot be replicated outside of the incubator.

The general rule is: "If it will significantly inhibit the subject's abilities and is not fully and non-invasively correctable with modern technology, then it will be corrected." This is not an ironclad rule, and it is entirely possible that there are violations. Of note; obesity, drug addiction, and most mental disorders will be in no way affected. Choose your candidates with that in mind. Also, most subjects who require glasses will find that they no longer do after the procedure. However, this is not true in all cases.

Furthermore, the subject will exhibit increased resistance to pain, moderately amplified strength, lower sleep requirements, lower food requirements, and a total resistance to the side effects of certain drugs. What this means may vary, but it typically means that detrimental drugs like heroin or cocaine will exhibit all of the "good" effects (the highs) without many of the long term downfalls. Also, physical addiction becomes impossible, although psychological addiction is still possible, if not amplified by the lack of "negative" effects. It should be noted that most drugs still impair judgment, and that psychological addiction can be just as impairing as physical addiction. It is in no way recommended that a subject be allowed to abuse drugs of any kind.

Third, there will be a small, round gem - the SG-Engine - implanted somewhere on the subject's body. This gem will be very difficult to remove without killing the subject, and as such removal is not advised. The SG-Engine may have displaced some bone, skin tissue, and possibly even organ tissue. However, this will not harm the subject in any way, nor will it hinder normal organ function under any circumstances.

The SG-Engine's abilities will vary from one subject to another. There is no set standard, and the choosing of the abilities is based on very specific data gathered from the subject. However, all SG-Engines follow two basic principles - they allow the subject to make use of their AT-Field and they provide high magnitude levels of energy at zero visible cost. Devices connected to the Engine will have their effectiveness enhanced. (I know that's vague, but how the Engines actually work here is vague.) The Engine's output can be harvested by connecting the Engine to a reception device. Basic design shown here:

[Image redacted for security concerns]

I'm confident you'll have that figured out very quickly, and you'll probably have redesigned it to be more efficient and less unwieldy within a few weeks. That's fine. If you understand the principle and don't allow [redacted] you won't have any problems.

Finally, the subject will receive a unique "power." I say unique because realistically there are so many possibilities and so many variables that the chances of a matchup are lower than the chances of two unrelated people having the exact same genetic code. Most powers will involve the person's body or mind in some way or another, although externalized powers (facilitated through the user's control of their AT-Field) are entirely possible. Most powers are fairly limited and "balanced." However in some cases a subject may be "aberrant," and exhibit powers that don't seem to have a limit. This is _not_ normal, and the subject's SG-Engine should either be removed immediately, or the subject should be rendered incapable of using their powers, whatever that entails. There is no way to predict this, and if the subject is allowed to retain these powers they will be unbelievably dangerous to _anything_ in the local area. (Ok, look. I'm gonna break character for this one. Local area here doesn't mean the city they're in,_ it means the goddamn star system._ Seriously, broken powers are bad news, and you don't want to mess with them, no matter how tempting it is.)

The subjects' powers will put intense strain on their bodies. This should be mitigated by the subjects' increased physical attributes. However, in some cases their powers may cross the threshold and become dangerous to the subject. This is because intense emotion will cause their powers to grow exponentially. Anger is predictably very potent, but intense grief is often much more dangerous. Even love, if twisted the right way, may be dangerous to a SG-Engine user. Subjects who let their emotions carry them while using their powers will be a danger to themselves and anyone around them. Be aware of this.

I trust that most of my directions have been fairly clear. However, I'd like to put forward several specific warnings regarding subject selection. First, adult subjects won't work. The Incubator shouldn't even be able to react to them, and if somehow it does it will almost certainly kill them. The same is true of subjects who have already undergone the procedure. Although there is a chance that the Incubator will initiate the procedure and they will emerge unchanged, or possibly with a duplicate SG-Engine, (This will not "double" their powers. It will _square _them, and if the Incubator doesn't kill them, _that_ will.) there is an equal chance that they will die. The incubator will not react to non-human organisms. Any that a subject is carrying with them (this includes both macroorganisms and microorganisms) will not be affected _unless _it is a disease-causing pathogen. The Incubator can distinguish between disease and recent vaccination. Macroorganisms carried with the subject may have unusual effects upon the subject's powers, and it is not recommended that this be done intentionally. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ATTEMPT TO USE THE INCUBATOR ON TWO HUMAN SUBJECTS AT THE SAME TIME. This will not end well. Trust me.

The Incubators requires no maintenance. They will never break down as long as the controller [redacted]. There shouldn't be a way to break them, but if you do find one, I won't be around to fix it, nor will I be held responsible for what happens to anyone in the vicinity.

Not that I'm taking responsibility for what you do with them using their _normal_ functions. I'm no fool. I know someone will ignore some or all of this and screw around. That's really the only reason I included this manual at all. You know how it's supposed to work, and if you want to screw around, it's on you. You know who you are, and I think that by the time you read this you just might know who _I_ am well enough to actually listen to my advice.

One more thing - and for the record this is the part of the file you're going to want to delete in all copies you send to people you don't absolutely trust:

Subjects will not be able to initiate Third Impact. There is no mechanism for it. I know I've glossed over the obvious Angel smashing purpose of SG-Engines, but this is important. You cannot treat Incubator subjects like Evangelions. They're not so improvised. If you're wondering how I know what an Evangelion is, then you can keep wondering.

With that, I give you my regards. May your myriad agendas succeed to the fullest possible extent!

_F._

P.S. For the love of all that is holy, don't try to be merciful to aberrant subjects. If there's a discrepancy, it won't end well, and when "discrepancy" means "human time bomb with the destructive force of an antimatter charge the size of a planet" you might want to reconsider showing them any form of kindness. Kill them. Rip out their Engine. In either order. This is my final warning.

* * *

><p>End Transcript.<p> 


	7. Chapter 05: AFTERMATHS AND GENESES

**NOTE: As before, tell me what you think about the whole music idea. I'm trying a format that's a little different here, and I hope it'll work a little better.**

* * *

><p>"It seems that my audience appreciates the production…" the man says, smiling, "but they do not like me!" His mouth spreads into a wide grin as the curtain opens. "You know, I think I should be offended, but the interest in my story makes me far happier. You'll have your show, and I'll stay out of the spotlight for now." He laughs, noting that aside from the curtain there really isn't anything around him. "Really, though! I suppose some people can't stand a bit of self indulgent showmanship!"<p>

The curtain opens, the man vanishes, the chapter begins.

**[Decretum - Madoka Magica OST]**

Madoka Kaname stands at the edge of a crater, smiling hopefully. If she feels any hesitation, it is born from the fear that what she will do next will fail, and the world will be doomed to chaos.

Homura Akemi lies on the ground, her body at its limit, her Soul Gem clouded by Grief. Her wide eyes beg Madoka not to say the words she will inevitably say, to make the contract they both know she will have to make.

High above, the cosmic horror responsible for the destruction around the girls floats inside a rotating, multicolored fractal, mocking the laws of reality that at one time bound it to the level of a mere human.

Below, an amoral, immortal, and unstoppable creature, far more dangerous than the one above, stands next to the girls, content to be a complacent observer as the tiny blue planet is ripped apart.

Madoka smiles. "I'm sorry, Homura, but I'm going to do it. I finally understand; I have a wish I want fulfilled."

"No… You can't! If you do… if you do that, then…" Tears run down Homura's face, her impassive façade crushed to dust. "…Then what have I been fighting for all this time?"

Madoka steps across the rubble strewn ground. She kneels down, and embraces Homura. "I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry, Homura. You've always been looking out for me, always protecting me, always fighting for me…" A tear slides down her cheek. "I'm so sorry for doing this."

She stands up, still smiling, even as tears are forming in her eyes. "But this is it, I've found the answer. Believe in me, Homura, I can fix all of this, but I couldn't have done it without your help."

She turns to the tiny white monstrosity. It inclines its head. "Because of her, all the world lines that have ever existed and ever will exist are all twisted around you. Any wish you should make, no matter what conventions it breaks, no matter what physical laws it should happen to shatter, it will most likely be granted."

The beast remains motionless, but something seems to be stirring in its red eyes. If Madoka did not know that the creature considered emotion to be a mental illness, then she would have said it was worried. "So, Madoka Kaname, for what would you wish in return for your soul."

Madoka stares it right in the eyes. She knows that every word of this wish must be perfect. "I…"

She pauses for a long moment. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and then;

"I wish to erase all witches from existence before they are ever born. Every single witch, past and future, in our universe and in any others, with my own hands."

The beast gasps, surprise breaching its bland surface. In its shock, it initiates the process.

Madoka's chest begins to glow; her soul begins to leave her body.

"That wish… that wish doesn't just break temporal coherence, or the laws of physics…" the beast stuttered.

The glow grows brighter still.

"It violates the constants that hold all universes together, the hidden codes that define the multiverse, past and future, every possible outcome will change!"

As Madoka's power begins to flow ever faster, the beast realizes what she is about to do.

"All of reality will be deconstructed, and reconstructed around you. You will be part of the base code of reality. You will become a Goddess!"

"If that is what it takes, then I will do it." Madoka says. "I won't let any of those girls who clung to hope while battling witches cry. I want them to be able to smile until the very end."

More and more power emanates from Madoka, even as billions of times more builds up inside her. "If the universe refuses to accept me," she says, "then I will break the laws of physics apart and change them to accommodate my wish."

Her fly eyes open, and they meet the Incubator's. "That is my wish. That is my prayer. That is my decree. Grant it, Incubator!"

And then, in an explosion of hope, reality ends.

And Madoka Kaname woke up.

**[Instabilite: Piano Solo - Evangelion 2.22 OST]**

Beep... Beep... Beep...

Sayaka knew the sound. It was the sound of a heart monitor, of a life ticking away in a hospital bed. She'd seen enough medical dramas to be all too familiar with the sound. She didn't open her eyes. She didn't want to wake up. Everything hurt; a dull ache that just wouldn't go away. Why did she hurt so much? What did she even _do_ last night?

And suddenly she remembered. Her eyes flew wide, finding a white tiled ceiling . She tried to sit up, but found that a pair of handcuffs were holding her arm to the hospital bed. She pulled against them, and the entire bed bounced with the sudden movement. She fell back, letting the sheets cradle her as confused tears began to flow. Questions ran through her head. _Was that real? Did I really kill the Angel? Does that make me a murderer? The Angel wasn't human… but it was so _alive.

Sayaka knew she was treading on dangerous ground. The question of "what measure is a person" was not one to be broached lightly. But she was scared, confused, and tired - oh so tired. She wasn't in control of her rambling mind.

So, she spoke to herself. "Did that... really happen?"

_I know how to find out._

She slid the covers back, peering down across her hospital gown covered body. There it was, a blue light at her navel. The SG-Engine remained where it had been. So she _was_ a Shito Kira; that was no dream.

She lay back, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, feeling unbidden tears rolling down her cheeks. "This feels wrong. I don't... I... I'm the good guy... right?"

"It doesn't really matter, does it?"

That... wasn't Sayaka's voice. She turned, her head, noticing for the first time that there was another bed to her left. How she had missed it, she couldn't even guess.

"Oh... sorry, I didn't see you."

"It's alright," the other person said. It took Sayaka a moment to remember her name.

"You're... Tomoe, right?"

The blonde girl smiled. "That's right. Mami Tomoe, but then you and I have already met, Ikari."

"Yeah..." Sayaka said. "Are you alright? I mean, I heard that..."

She trailed off, and Mami finished the sentence. "You heard that I lost?" Her eyes said nothing.

"...yeah."

"Well, it _is_ true," Mami said, a smile tracing the edges of her lips. "Some Sempai I turned out to be. I couldn't even win my first battle."

"It's... I don't think it's your fault," Sayaka said. "I didn't exactly win either."

"Oh? But you were the one who finally took down the Angel, weren't you?" Mami asked.

"Yeah, I beat the Angel... I _really_ beat the Angel. But it was mostly luck and I'm not sure I was... supposed to."

"Supposed to?" Mami pressed.

"It... well..." Sayaka struggled to form words to express her conflicted feelings. "It tried to talk to me, I think. It ended up hurting me, but in hindsight I don't think it was trying to. I don't think... I don't think it was our enemy."

"Then what do you think it was trying to do?"

"I think... it was trying to talk," Sayaka said. "I don't know what it was trying to say... but it didn't get angry at me until I hurt it. And then..." she felt the tears coming back. "And then..."

"So, you feel like you're the villain?" Mami said quietly.

Sayaka nodded.

"Like I said before, that doesn't matter. Right and wrong aren't important."

"But..." Sayaka started.

"Sayaka Ikari," Mami said, firmly. "I know what this job must have looked like from the outside, but it's not glamorous. We're soldiers. It is literally that simple. We're soldiers fighting a war. If we fail, people die, whether what the science team tells us about the Angels is true or not. If you hadn't stopped the Angel, where would it have gone? To the GeoFront? It was heading for the center of the city, wasn't it? And when it found it had to go down, what do you think it would have done?"

"I don't... I don't know."

"Did that Angel seem like it would let a little dirt and metal stop it? What if it had hit one of the shelters on its way down? What if it had decided to flatten NERV HQ? Hundreds, maybe thousands of people could have died, and do you know why they didn't?"

"Because I stopped it, I know," Sayaka said. "Do you think that makes it any easier? Tomoe, the Angel didn't just talk to me, at the end... it was begging me for _mercy!_"

"And what would have become of it if you had allowed it to live? It would have been chained up and vivisected by men in white coats for the rest of its life. You haven't been here long, but you should know that NERV isn't above getting its hands dirty."

"But I... I didn't even listen! I just kept going, and then..."

"And then it was dead. It's gone, Sayaka." Mami's eyes burned into Sayaka's. "You beat the enemy, you won the fight. That's what we're here to do."

"If that's what we have to do, then I..." Sayaka swallowed. "I'm not sure I want to keep fighting."

"Sayaka, can you see my arm?"

"What?" Sayaka asked. "What do you mean?"

Mami rolled over in the bed. "Take a look. This is what happens when you lose."

Sayaka gasped. Mami's left side covered in bandages, but it was very clear that there wasn't anything under them. "Oh my god..."

"_This_ is what happens when you lose," Mami repeated. "Whatever the Angel intended, it did this to me. On purpose. Whether it was really hostile or not, it tried to kill me, and this was what being _lucky_ got me. If it wasn't for Akemi, I wouldn't be alive."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't be. Do you know what I'm going to do now?"

"...what?"

"I am going to ask for a prosthetic arm, and I am going to have a cannon mounted inside it," Mami said. "I am going to use this loss, and I am going to make myself even stronger, so that next time I will not lose. Ikari, I am going to keep fighting, and I'll only stop when the Angels fear me enough to kneel before me and proclaim that they will never threaten me or those I hold dear ever again."

Sayaka stared, wide-eyed, as Mami sat up. "So, I know what I am going to do. Now what are you going to do, Ikari?"

"I... don't know."

"Then decide. You yourself said you aren't certain about if you should fight the Angels. Are you just going to give up and let me fight the Angels my way?"

"Should I?" Sayaka asked, eyes downcast. "What else can I do?"

"Ikari," Mami said, "you may not have realized it yet, but you can do nearly anything you want. You have immense power now. If you want to do something the next time an Angel appears, you don't have to ask permission."

Sayaka looked up. "Seriously?"

"Sayaka, raise your right arm above your head."

"But there's a handcuff..."

"Just try."

Sayaka looked at the cuff, and lifted her arm. She expected the cuff to arrest her movement, but instead she found the link snapping easily. The cuff dangled from her wrist as she held it up. "Wha...?"

"You're not just a normal schoolgirl anymore," Mami said. "You've got great power and great responsibility. If you think that you can stop the Angels peacefully, then try, because you _can _try. When it comes down to it, I'm the only person in NERV Japan who can physically stop you, and I don't plan on it unless I see that you're doomed to fail."

"So..." Sayaka said, "the next time an Angel appears... I could try to talk to it?"

"Yes," Mami said. "Nothing will stop you from trying. In fact, I hope with all my heart that you succeed, but understand that if you can't get it to stop, then I will be there to kill it. I don't want to be a murderer any more than you do, but I will not hesitate to be a soldier."

"It's not like I have much choice, is it?" Sayaka said, mirthlessly. "If I can't stop the next Angel, then it'll just be kill-or-be-killed, same as it is now."

"I understand what you're feeling right now," Mami said. "Not too long ago I was forced to choose between killing a friend or letting her become a potential enemy, and I'm still not certain I made the right choice then. I can't risk making a mistake like that, not when lives hang in the balance. But you... at least you have me for backup if things go wrong."

Sayaka gave a lopsided smile. "Thanks Tomoe... I think."

Mami slid out from under the covers and stood up. She grabbed a hospital gown from a pile on a table near the door, and slipped it on. She paused in the doorway, turning once more to Sayaka. "I... do sincerely hope we can be friends, Ikari." She smiled bitterly. "The sad thing about this job is... you don't make that many friends."

**[Anma Maman - Eureka Seven AO OST]**

_"Subject Alphonse Elric has cleared the Incubator!"_ called a voice over the intercom. _"Welcome back, Al!"_

Similar cheers echoed through the NERV America Incubator room. The team was smaller and less organized than the Japanese branch, but they were tight-knit. The team was all run by a couple of close families, principally the Elrics and the Rockbells. The mechanics were the new Angel Slayers' friends, and the head researchers were their parents.

Alphonse Elric stepped away from the incubator, walking in a very straight line directly to the plugsuit lockers. His face was wound into a very odd expression, and his brother Edward understood what it meant instantly. "Have you been crying?"

"_You _will too, Ed," Al said with a tearful sniff. "I know you will."

"Yeah, right," Ed said, but he wondered if he really would start crying. _It's been what, seven years since I saw her?_

"_Ed! You're up!" _Winry Rockbell called from the control room. Ed checked his plugsuit. It was uncomfortable and clingy, but the SG-Engine should change that. His feet hurt from the awful rubber slipper-shoes that clung to them, but that too would change when he went inside the Incubator. A _lot_ of things would change when he went inside the Incubator.

_"Ed! Get going will ya?"_

"Yeah yeah, I'm going!"

Edward tensed. _This is it. No going back now._ He walked out onto the Incubator room floor, feeling the uncomfortable metal beneath his feet. The plugsuit chafed, and the eyes of the team made the long walk so much harder.

But, finally he was there. The Incubator's belly stared down at him, a hungry black void waiting to gobble him up. The arms reached down to take him, and then he was inside.

He looked out upon the impossible field of dreams, and there stood his mother, smiling back at him. He failed to stop himself from crying.

**[OP Signal "ALERT" - Eureka Seven AO OST]**

Kyouko Langley Soryu stood atop a skyscraper. The spectacular building had been originally built as an office building, but now it stood empty. The wind whipped through her scarlet hair. She looked down at the city of Munich which lay spread out below her like a map. It looked beautiful compared to many other German cities which Second Impact had torn apart, mostly because of the money a few affluent men had poured into reconstruction. Even the large, unpopulated swathes were at least partially restored, when they weren't just torn down for scrap.

Kyouko spat off the tower, and watched it fall until it was out of sight. "I really hate this place," she muttered to the wind.

A VTOL gunship rose behind her, its jets adding to the already fierce winds. _"Kyouko Langley Soryu!" _a voice said from an external speaker. _"You're supposed to be confined to your quarters! Return to base at once!"_

"Oh shut up Kaji!" Kyouko spat. "Do you really think I give a flying _ficken_ about that?" She pulled a box of pocky from a pocket on the side of her plugsuit, slipping one into her mouth.

Kyouko didn't hate Ryoji Kaji. The only thing she hated about him was how his appearance reminded her of her_ verdammte_ father, and how she had to switch to English or Japanese whenever she spoke to him. He was the only one who really understood her, though, being the one who... discovered her. She didn't _like_ him though. She didn't like many people. Still, Kaji was tolerable, especially compared to all the other prominent male figures in her life.

_"You could at least _pretend_ to follow orders."_ Kaji said. _"Or, you know, not steal military equipment."_

"Ya know, I could _not_ pretend to care when you people get mad at me for blowing up a condemned building," Kyouko said venomously. "Hey, the demolition teams seem to like me. I don't leave much to clean up."

_"That's not the point. If you keep going off and blowing up buildings whenever you get angry, you're going to give people the impression you're unstable," _ Kaji said. _"You do realize that, right?"_

"I'm careful!" Kyouko exclaimed sarcastically. "You know me, Kaji; never hurt a _verfickten_ fly!"

_"This isn't funny, Soryu. You've got the team worried about you. You've got_ me_ worried about you."_

"Kaji, I don't give two honest _fick_ what the team thinks," Kyouko spat. "And you aren't exactly on my list of people whose _ärsche _I have to kiss."

_"You know, I've never asked for your respect, just some civility, or dare I suggest it, _friendship._"_

Kyouko snorted. "Fine, then congratulations, you can be my 'friend' Kaji."

Kaji's reply was equally sarcastic. _"Gee, thanks Kyouko. That's wonderful!"_

"And now you're calling me by my first name!" Kyouko laughed. "Awfully forward aren't you, _Ryoji_?"

_"You know me, Soryu. Still, I would appreciate it if you'd come down so I could give that pilot his VTOL back. He keeps calling over the radio to tell me how much trouble I'm in._

"Ooh!" Kyouko sneered. "Ryoji's being a bad boy today, I see."

_"Like I said, you know me, Soryu. Now, are you going to come down?"_

"Oh, I'm coming down!" Kyouko said. She smiled innocently, and reached back to release the straps that held her spear on her back.

_"Oh no."_

"But _yes_," Kyouko said, grinning. She connected the tiny power line from her plugsuit to the spear's handle. The spear hummed as delicious scarlet fire streamed through the cord, and the spearhead began to glow. "Might want to back off Kaji, this is a big building and we wouldn't want the dust to screw up that VTOL's jets, now would we?"

_"You won't stop if I say please?"_ Kaji asked, the speakers muted by the sounds of the VTOL retreating Kyouko's spear revving up.

"Not for ten billion yen, Kaji."

_"Heh. Twenty billion perhaps?"_

"I'll think about it."

The spear's edge separated, and the chainsaw section became visible. They started to spin, faster and faster, generating sparks as Kyouko's SG-Engine, glowing crimson at her collarbone, made them go faster and faster.

Kyouko closed her eyes, and felt the power building. _Hehe... should I feel this good about "using my spear?" Oh the irony, it burns._ She laughed, and brought the spear up above her head. The motors screamed, the chains roared, and the entire weapon was wreathed in fire.

She struck the spear into the roof of the building, and fell backwards off the edge. She held on as the spear began to cleave through the building, concrete and glass giving way before the terrible fire.

She laughed, and set her feet against the wall. Her boots glowed, and tiny vents on her soles opened. The slid against the side of the skyscraper, her spear tearing its surface apart. Masonry rained upon her back, and she felt the familiar sense of freedom as she came to a halt, hanging from the spear resting in the building's flank.

She smirked. "This is gonna be a good one, I can feel it."

And so, the spear lit again. Red flames exploded from her heels, and flipped her up to stand atop the hilt. She crossed her arms, and the spear began to fall through the stone. She looked across the city as she fell towards it. "You'll be mine... you'll all be mine. Mine to protect, and if I don't like you... mine to destroy."

There was a flash, and the building was sliced in two.

**[No Music]**

Misato flicked through the channels, watching the news delivered sugarcoated nothing to the curious people. She sighed. "Public Scenario B-22. Just like we expected." She flicked off the TV, leaning back in her folding chair. "Covering up the truth, just like always."

"Well, PR's probably happy," Ritsuko replied, "they're finally getting to _do_ something."

"We're being pretty casual, considering how close we just came," Misato said, fanning herself with a stack of paperwork she needed to fill out.

"Casual?" Ritsuko replied. "I think we're all scared to death."

Misato grimaced. "I think you're probably right about that."

She stretched, putting the papers down on the table behind her. A helicopter flew overhead, carrying a section of the Angel's core. "So, the Angel's body's going to R&D," Misato observed. "Not really a big surprise, I guess."

"What is surprising is that we could recover this much," Ritsuko replied. "It's amazing; Sayaka left its body almost completely intact."

"Yeah..." Misato reached for a bottle of water. "You think she'll be alright? Sayaka, I mean."

"She took a pretty big hit to the cerebellum," Ritsuko said. "But the doctors think she'll be fine."

"Cerebellum?" Misato asked, smiling just a little. "Don't you mean her heart?"

"No, I mean her cerebellum," Ritsuko said.

"Whatever," Misato said grumpily. "I swear Ritsu, you were a lot more fun in college."

"Being a scientists forces you to grow up pretty fast, Misato," Ritsuko said, smiling just slightly. "Of course... not that you'd know."

"Was that a jab at my immaturity, or that I can't tell a Watt from a Volt?" Misato asked, grinning.

"I'll let you decide," Ritsuko said. Her smile faded. "Do you really think this will be enough? Do you think we're going to be able to beat the Angels like this?"

"As long as Sayaka and Mami are both OK, I'm not worried," Misato replied. "Working together, I'd bet they could have taken down that Angel easy. Besides, there are more SK's coming in from NERV Germany and America. Add that to the fortress that is this city, and we can't lose."

"You're quite the optimist," Ritsuko remarked.

"Hey, having a positive attitude can make all the difference sometimes!"

**[Fugitive Hope - Ace Combat 05 OST]**

Maxwell Church stepped from SEELE's meeting room. The White House didn't initially come with such a room, so he had added it as an offshoot of the basement. It really wasn't that impressive, just a few cheap holograms and some sound dampening walls. It wasn't even that big.

Maxwell had heard that Keel's room was massive, and Tucker had an entire second structure on his estate for his. The other members of SEELE had similarly decadent accommodations for their occult meetings. Wastes of time and space, all of them.

The discussion had been unimportant, consisting of an essentially pointless discussion of the Shito Kira, and a reminder to Gendo Ikari that he needed to know his place. If Maxwell had been a man with less self control, he might have openly laughed while Keel was making vague threats toward the Commander of NERV. Indeed, the entire situation was silly.

"Coffee, sir?" asked his secretary, the improbably named Sheila Scorpion. She was so perfectly disguised as a completely generic secretary. Brown hair, shrewd features, conservative skirt, thin glasses... all concealing that she was the most sophisticated android ever constructed, yet even then only a test model.

"Yes, I would appreciate that," Maxwell said, accepting the cup from the proffered tray. "NERV's operations are on schedule?"

"The fourth and fifth children have just been Incubated," Shelia replied. "The plan is still to have them sent to Japan as soon as possible, correct?"

"Yes," Maxwell said. He kept walking, up a flight of stairs to the ground floor. Sheila dutifully followed him everywhere he went. After some time, he spoke again. "How soon until project Freelancer can begin?"

"The fourth Incubator has already been secured," Sheila said. "We can begin testing immediately to determine the optimal procedures. As for the expected output time..." she paused for a fraction of a second. "The exact timeframe is contingent on how fast we can complete MJOLNIR development, but the range is from one month to a year."

"Good, and our acquisition of the Incubator means that Project Doppelganger will proceed on schedule. What about Project Bestiary?"

"Agents are working to acquire core and tissue samples from the Third Angel as we speak."

"And Vanguards two through six?"

"Two and three have been completed, and are on standby at the Selene-D facility. Four, five, and six are under construction, and will likely be finished within the next four months."

"Our plans are moving quickly," Maxwell observed, looking up as he entered the Entrance Hall.

"Indeed. Statistical analysis indicates that by next year Freelancer alone will offer enough military force to completely annihilate every conventional army on the planet, even disregarding Vanguard's potential."

"But we must not move to quickly," Maxwell muttered. "Lest our enemies turn towards us instead of each other."

He stopped, looking at the superficial finery which surrounded him, barely changed since the last presidency. He hesitated, then stepped rapidly to the door and flung it open, emerging out onto the North Lawn.

Out of Pennsylvania Avenue, the standard crowd of onlookers was staring at him. He had once been one of them, in a bygone time. He had visited that street, twenty years old, a Texan senator with more "connections" than ambition or importance, straining like a child against the fence for a glimpse of one of the men who made the world spin.

Ironically, that day had turned out to be the day of Second Impact. From that vantage point he had seen Adam's wings stretching across the sky, and seen the world dissolve into chaos. He had watched the panic spread, and he had thought; _This is the end. Humankind bit and clawed its way forward for two hundred thousand years and now it's all coming to an end._ He hated that feeling. The thought that not only was he insignificant, but that everything human civilization had achieved might be made so as well... it scared him more than the thought of death ever could.

On the street, there was a child pointing at him and gesturing to his mother excitedly. She, in turn, was staring at him openmouthed. Maxwell smiled, and gave a small wave. The child hopped up and down excitedly, while the mother just gaped in surprise.

Maxwell turned back, and his smile vanished as he walked back inside. "Very well child," he muttered. "Idolize me. Revere me. Make me seem more than a man. Because by God, we're going to need more than men to survive what is coming."

**[No Answer - Fullmetal Alchemist OST]**

The Angels did not communicate verbally. Their conversations consisted of thoughts, transmitted to each other through precise use of their AT-Fields. Two Angels could communicate easily, even if they were far apart, so long as they had met each other before and knew their respective frequencies. A human might liken it to knowing someone's phone number.

Right now the Angels were on conference call, and they were panicking.

**WE must KILL it!** Shamshel cried. **OUR brother IS dead! WE have TO strike BACK!**

**"Calm yourself, sister," **Ramiel replied. **"Whatever the 'Sayaka Ikari' being is, it is not something we can fight without more knowledge."**

**i DON'T have TO understand IT to SPILL its BLOOD.**

""Ramiel is correct, sister,"" Israfel said. ""If we rush forth without proper understanding, there may well be fourteen more deaths at the hands of our unknown foe.""

_"Information necessary..." _muttered Sahaquiel. _"I observe?"_

**"Yes, sister," **Ramiel replied. **"Observe from above. Find out what this 'Sayaka Ikari' is."**

**COWARDS!** Shamshel screamed, **you FEAR the UNKNOWN so MUCH that YOU allow IT to STAND between US, our REVENGE, and ADAM?**

_"Sister dear, there is a great difference between cowardice and fear,"_Matarael said calmly_._ _"I wish to avenge our brother, but I also wish to avoid the imperative of avenging another."_

**"Shamshel, the others speak the truth,"** rumbled Zeruel. **"Even I admit that striking too soon would be foolish."**

The debate continued like this for some time; Shamshel the advocate of an immediate attack, and Ramiel the voice of temperance and reason. Most either sided with Ramiel or remained silent. All wished for revenge, to some degree, but they wanted to live even more.

In the end, the only one who took Shamshel's side was Arael.

_**Our wrath, though tempr'ed by fear of pain, must be displayed to that which has our brother slain.**_

**"We must not give ourselves to anger," **Ramiel countered. **"If we succumb to like this, Adam will never reawaken. The fourteen of us that remain will die out, and there will be no successors."**

_**But what killed once may kill again, and what, my brother, will happen then? We must strike first and we must strike strong, lest **_**they**_** strike **_**us**_** before too long.**_

Then, a thought crossed the mental link. A disturbing thought.

"This is amusing."

The Angels, though not within visual range of each other, did the equivalent of turning to face Tabris.

**"Tabris," **Ramiel said incredulously. **"You find this... humorous? Our brother is **_**dead**_**."**

_**Whether we agree which course to take, we cannot deny that much is at stake! **_Arael said. _**What then brother, young though you are, have to say for your feelings bizarre?**_

"I am sorry for interrupting," Tabris said. "I am... somewhat new, so perhaps I did not know Sachiel as well as the rest of you."

**"Your late awakening does not absolve you from this situation," **Ramiel said. **"You know this to be true. What happened to our brother concerns all of us."**

"But this debate is meaningless," Tabris said, a trickle of melancholy running over his thoughts. "What is going to happen is already set. What will happen will happen."

_**And who are you to know all this? What power have you that we all did miss?**_

"Ah... I see that you are going to start asking questions that I cannot answer," Tabris said, his voice growing cold. "My apologies, brothers, sisters, but I must depart. Farewell."

**"Tabris?"**

**TABRIS?**

_**Brother ours who speaks in riddles...?**_

Then, for a time, the Angel's mental link went silent.

**"What were we talking about?"** Ramiel asked after some time.** "There are only thirteen of us left... so to whom was I speaking?"**

**why DO i NOT remember... HIS name?**

_**By all that mist and time have mired... what is it that has just transpired?**_

**[No Music]**

Five exiles from alternate worlds sat around a table. No one spoke. None of them knew what to say. The sound of a passing car could be heard outside. A broken ceiling fan spun in slow circles, the bulb absent from its socket. The entire apartment smelled of dirty clothes and old food, and general disorder prevailed.

Asuka was the first to try her voice. "So... what do we know? We've gone back in time, and now Homura's old friends are the ones fighting the Angels. That's pretty much a solid fact, right?"

"Yeah," Touji agreed. "But the big fucking elephant in the room is _'why_?' Why did that happen?"

"And, more importantly than that," Shinji interjected, "_who or what_ made it happen?"

"I think I have a hypothesis in regards to the former..." Homura said. "I have a great deal of experience with time, and in my previous travels no two timelines were precisely the same. Variations were fairly small, likely due to the limited range and intention of my traveling, but once or twice severe discrepancies occurred, implying that there were timelines I simply could not access due to their difference from my native world. What if, by coincidence, two completely distinct timelines were to... merge?"

"Sorry Akemi," Touji shrugged. "Your transtemporal technobabble completely lost us."

Akemi sighed. "Think of two streams, each of them carrying their own leaves and various other debris. When they cross, they become indistinguishable, and their contents intermingle in such a way that it becomes more difficult to identify which stream they came from the further they go.

"Ok," Asuka said. "So you're saying our timelines got pushed together somehow?"

"I posit that somehow the confluence one of Madoka Kaname's wish-events and the event you referred to as 'Third Impact' caused some form of instability. The two timelines then spilled into each other, creating the one within which we now exist."

"So, that still leaves the main question;" Touji pointed out, "was it all a fucking coincidence?"

"I do not know. The dates of Walpurgisnacht and Third Impact do not match, assuming that timelines need to be in synchronization for such an event to occur. Disregarding that, there are other questionable variables, such as the odds of my comrades' roles being matched to yours. The very fact that such 'roles' exist subtly implies _some_ form of design."

"You are forgetting one detail."

The four turned to Rei, who had been quiet all morning. "What's that, Rei?" Shinji asked.

"In the school," Rei said, blinking her red eyes. "My brief encounter with Madoka Kaname. We are explicitly linked in some way, although I do not know what that way is."

"It's not too hard to guess, really," Touji said. "Kaname was the one with the wishes that broke reality, and Rei was the one at the center of the fuckin-freaky Third Impact thingy... no offense."

"None taken," Rei said, impassive. "I am fairly certain that what you say is correct. However, Kaname and I may be intertwined more heavily in this timeline than that. Our brief interaction did something to my mind that I am not sure I fully understand."

"What?" Shinji asked, suddenly alert. "What happened?"

"Yesterday, I experienced two intense headaches, following which I discovered that I knew the outcome of events that were occurring elsewhere. First, that the girl known as Mami Tomoe would be alright, and second, that the girl known as Sayaka would go berserk and defeat the Angel."

"Precognition?" Homura asked her attention fixed on Rei. "Madoka seemed to retain some vague memories of previous timelines after I jumped, mostly in the form of dreams. Do you think the circumstances are similar?"

"Possibly," Rei confirmed. "Although as far as any of us know, this timeline has yet to be reset. It is more likely that this is a different phenomenon."

"But we can't observe the timelines from outside," Asuka pointed out. "If someone other than Akemi has been manipulating time, then we'd have no way of knowing."

"Which brings back to the main point," Shinji said. "Who organized this?"

"Oh, that would be me."

**[Music in: The ****House**** of Leaves - Kevin McLeod]**

There were six people in the room. Shinji knew there had been five just a moment ago. He turned, his eyes passing over Touji, whose mouth was open in shock, over Homura who was staring blankly, her hand creeping back toward the machine gun resting against the wall behind her.

And then his gaze turned to the man who had intruded.

"Hello, Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley Soryu, Rei Ayanami, Touji Suzuhara, and last but not least Homura Akemi," F. said.

"So, you know who we are," Homura said, not missing a beat. Her hand was firmly on the gun now. "How."

"Why... I can't tell you that!" F said. "That would be cheating!"

"Fuck," Touji said. "Guys... he didn't... oh fuck."

"What's wrong, Touji?" Shinji asked, his eyes never leaving the intruder.

"He came through the fucking wall," Touji said, terrified. "He just walked right through the fucking wall."

"I saw, Suzuhara," Homura said. She brought the machine gun up into a ready position, aiming directly at F.'s smug face. "Name. Reason for being here. Now."

"So forceful!" F. giggled. "I always liked that about you, Akemi. You don't back down, not ever. Not even when you're the last of your friends alive, scrabbling for life in a dying timeline..."

"Tell me who you are," Homura said, her eyes narrowed as she flicked the safety off. "No games."

"Rei should know. Why don't you ask her?"

Shinji turned to Rei, who was staring at the man, her eyes wide, her mouth opening and closing slowly. A bolt of cyan electricity shot across her hair.

"Rei!" Shinji said. "What's wrong?"

"Oh... no..." Rei said, staring. "That's not... no... no no no no!" She clutched at her head. "You're not! That's impossible! You're lying! You're lying! YOU'RE LYING!"

"Oh dear, it looks like I broke her," F. said, frowning disappointedly. "I thought she would take it better than that. Oh well." He snapped his fingers, and the light left Rei's eyes.

"Rei!" Shinji yelled, catching her as she slumped. Her body was hot, her shoulders covered in sweat. Her breathing was quick and ragged, but she was alive. "You," Shinji said, his voice very, very cold. "What did you just do?"

"Oh please... your reactions are so predictable it's irritating." F sat down on the floor, his legs crossed. "That's the annoying thing about you, Shinji. Either you're too busy angsting and whining to actually _do_ anything or you're being downright stupid and running into danger without a plan. It should be contradictory... but whatever." He sighed. "That's not important. I'm here for a reason..."

It was at that point that Asuka returned to the room, carrying an AK-47. Shinji found that he couldn't recall the precise moment when she had left. She leveled her weapon at a bemused F. "Back up against the wall or I'm filling you with lead!" she barked.

"And you!" F. said, not moving. "Why did you end up the level headed one? And how is pointing an assault rifle at a guest even supposed to be level headed in the first place? God this is stupidly confusing."

Asuka's mouth contorted into a snarl, but Homura had her hand on her shoulder before she could pull the trigger. "Calm down Soryu. I don't think that's going to be enough."

"Might as well try," Asuka replied. "He just took down Rei, and I'd much rather shoot first than start asking how."

"Fucking hell," Touji said, now clasping his head in his hands. "This is fucking nuts you guys."

"And Touji!" F. said. "The one with the smallest role in his old world. I guess you must feel like the odd one out, hmm? You can thank me for-"

"SHUT UP creepy wall guy!" Touji shouted. "I'm not sure about much right now, but I'm sure as fuck I don't like you. Besides, you've got a gun to your head and you're trying to play it off. You're either stupid, arrogant, fucking nuts, or you're a stupid, arrogant, fucknut."

"Oh, this?" F. said. He laughed, glaring down the barrel of the rifle. "I don't think that's going to hurt me," he said, flicking the barrel down with one finger.

Asuka had had enough. "You don't think so? _Let's find out for sure then_." Her finger pressed down. The rifle fired. The sound inside the cheap apartment was deafening as bullets pierced the thin wall and spent shells scattered across the floor.

It took a few moments for the confusion to settle. When it did, Asuka was still standing, and F. was not. A puddle of dark red blood was spreading where F. had fallen, and twelve smoking bullet holes marred his coat.

Asuka was breathing heavily. The others were barely breathing at all.

"What... the..."

F. rolled over slowly, trying to lift his body with his arms. Blood spurted in regular increments onto the floor. "What... the... fuck?"

"He's still alive?" Asuka muttered. "Tough bastard."

"Tough... bastard!?" F. said, coughing up a wave of blood. "I'm... supposed to be... fucking invulnerable!"

"...oops?"

"Guys..." Touji said, growing pale. "Look at his shadow."

It was at that very moment that Shinji noticed two things that just _should not be_. First, a man with twelve bullet holes in his torso was standing up. Second, the shadow on the wall behind him was moving in a manner not unlike a very angry octopus.

"That hurt, Asuka."

"Bite me," Asuka snapped. "Your condescending bullshit is irritating and you just knocked out one of my friends in my _verdammt_ apartment. Get out. Now. Or hey, I _could_ just blow your head off with the rest of this magazine. Your pick."

"It seems... I've made an error," F. said, grunting as he pulled himself fully upright. "I guess I underestimated what you could actually do to me." He spat a glob of blood onto the rug. "Fine then. I'm leaving. But before I go, I should at least tell you what I came to say."

He grinned, but a coughing fit interrupted him. When he finally stopped, he wasn't smiling anymore. "All of..." he coughed, "all of your goddamned Evangelions are waiting for you, if you can get your hands on them. You can do whatever you wish with them, but good fucking luck finding them without my help."

He backed up, and slipped on a spent casing. He yelped, and tumbled backward through the black writhing mass that was his shadow, disappearing into the dark which closed behind him.

Silence returned. Touji decided to break it; "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?"

**[No Music]**

"Fuck," the man says as he stumbles into the spotlight for the last time. "Uh... sorry about breaking my word folks, but I'm going to have to cut the show a bit short for now. Technical difficulties and all that... ha ha..." he sways on his feet, blood dripping from his coat to the stage. The curtain begins to close in front of him. "Ironic... I guess," he mutters, so quietly it can barely be heard. "I screwed around with their lives, and now, I guess they've taken mine." He laughs, but it's the hacking laugh of a dying man. "I guess I'm finally going leave this story for good. So very fitting..." Before the curtain comes together, he staggers and falls. The curtain closes as he hits the floor, and the world goes black.

* * *

><p><strong>Review Please!<strong>


	8. Chapter 06: DATA GATHERING

"Uh... hello...!"

A new man steps onto the stage. Clad in a wrinkled white shirt and jeans, he looks as if he's just woken up, or perhaps not slept at all. He scratches his head nervously, his wide, bespectacled eyes darting across the space in front of him. "Thank you... thank you for... ah..."

He pulls a rolled up piece of paper from his pocket, unfolds it, and starts reading. "T-thank you for... bearing with us..." He swallows nervously, glancing up from his script. "W-we're sorry for the delays and interruptions associated with various... well, I guess one event really, but it says 'various events...' Uh... I wasn't supposed to say that..."

He grimaces. "We at the NPB t-thank you for your patience during this time of... confusion...?" He squints at the paper. "Confusion? We just... F. is _dead!_ _CONFUSION!?"_

He tosses the script on the stage and stomps on it. "DAMMIT! This... this isn't _confusion!_ It's a catastrophe! It's a fracas! Calamity, apocalypse, armageddon!"

"Calm yourself, M!" hisses a voice from offstage, just barely loud enough to hear.

"R-right... sorry everyone," M. says. He stares at the stage, not meeting the invisible eyes of his audience. "Ok..." he says bitterly. "We're going to try and keep the production running without F., so please, enjoy."

"N! Stay in character!" hisses the voice.

M. snaps. "God damn it, H.!" He screams. "Look, my brother just _died,_ alright? You put me out here to take over for him, so you're going to just have to fucking deal with-"

The lights cut out on M., and a woman appears on stage. She is dressed in a business suit, and a clipboard is clutched in her hand. She too looks exhausted, but there's a fire in her eyes. "We are continuing our compatriot's production. We apologize for any problems this might cause. Thank you, and enjoy the production. She steps offstage quickly, but a conversation is audible from the wings.

"M.," the woman's voice cuts in. "I know he was your brother, but we have to focus, alright? We've got an audience."

"Fuck the audience. They're just a bunch of sickos." M says. "And the production doesn't need our help to run; F. just brought it to them. What we need to do is find out how my brother got killed by one of his own pieces."

"We'll figure it out, M. Don't worry. Whatever F. was doing, the Bureau will know soon enough."

"I really, _really_ fucking hope so, H."

The curtains part. The production begins.

* * *

><p>In the course of the preceding week, the apartment had undergone a significant change. The building was mostly abandoned - which was why they'd picked it in the first place - and so, luckily, the gunfire hadn't attracted any attention. The five exiles, having recovered from shock, had decided on their course of action.<p>

Four laptops, utilitarian, serviceable and outfitted with internet connections, had been set up on a central table. Touji and Rei had taken to them quickly, doing unhealthy amounts of research while constantly taking more and more extreme security measures. From time to time, Homura and Asuka would join them. Shinji, as it had turned out, had drawn the short straw. He was the designated supply getter.

He glanced at the holes in the wall, patched up lightly with little more than duct tape. "Way to go, bastard. Just drop a bomb like that and leave."

"Nothing yet?" Asuka asked the room.

"Nothing worth fucking reporting," Touji replied from his computer. "Jesus, I thought it would be easy to pick up politics from the net, but noooooo..."

"It is as if the major superpowers have gone into a sort of 'panic mode,' Rei said. "Many nations have isolated themselves, with America being the most blatant. Their entire network is accessible through only three separate channels, and all of them are monitored."

All typing in the room stopped. "Rei," Shinji asked. "How did you find that out?"

"International hacker groups have following America since Second Impact. Apparently it was the suspicious deaths of a number of presidential candidates that triggered suspicion. Ever since the election of the most recent President, Maxwell Church, America has become increasingly isolated and secretive. What little data has leaked out has been... strange. It seems that despite major trade cutoffs America is actually in an economic rise, and logical statistics do not match the reality."

Silence again. "Rei," Shinji asked. "How did you get that information?"

"I contacted the hacker group Whiteblood Cell."

Shinji recognized that name. They had existed in the old world too, and he'd seen a few news reports. They were infamously secretive, and were apparently powerful enough to attack city power grids and other, similar systems. "And how did you get them to give you this information?" he asked, fearing the answer.

"I impressed them."

"How?"

"By making their leader's computer explode."

* * *

><p>"Did you hear? They say the new girl is the one who fought that monster!"<p>

Such talk spread like wildfire, although for the first two weeks of Sayaka's stay at the new school, no one dared ask her if the rumors were true.

However, one fateful morning, during a particularly dull sermon from the teacher regarding Second Impact, a little message popped up on Sayaka's school laptop.

ARE YOU THE MAGICAL GIRL? Y/N?

Sayaka stared at the prompt. She looked back to see a couple of girls she didn't know waving at her. She turned back to the screen, biting her lip. _What do I say? It's not like my identity can really stay secret, but should I just tell people straight up?_

Another prompt appeared.

WELL? Y/N?

Sayaka sighed. "Fine," she muttered. She started to type.

YES

The reaction was instantaneous and dramatic. The room surged forward, completely drowning out whatever the teacher had been saying. A deluge of questions rained down on Sayaka, and she tried to answer as much as she could.

"So are you really a magical girl?"

"Well... no, it's not really 'magical'-"

"Were you really fighting out there?"

"Yeah... yeah I was-"

"Are you giving out autographs?"

"N...no?"

There were cell phones in her face. Someone in the back, a boy with glasses and messy brown hair, was actually filming her with a video camera. She felt crowded. She couldn't answer their questions fast enough. She was overwhelmed, and after a while she just stopped answering.

Gradually, interest started to subside. Sayaka might be a Shito Kira, but for the most part she was still herself. Besides, she wasn't exactly enthusiastic about describing her exciting new job.

Soon, the class dispersed. Everyone had places to be, and so it was that Sayaka ended up alone.

Almost.

"...Ikari?"

Sayaka turned, meeting the eyes of the last girl in the classroom. "What is it, Miss Class rep?"

"I... just wanted to ask you..." Hikari Horaki glanced down at the ground. "Is... is it worth it, Ikari?"

"...what do you mean?"

"Sure, everyone thinks that you're a big hero, and hey, that's probably true... but are you really?"

Sayaka didn't know what to say. "I..."

"Because I really hope you are a hero, Ikari."

"What...?"

"Because..." a tear slid down Hikari's cheek. "Because... my little sister is in the hospital right now, and I'm not sure she's going to leave."

"Oh my god..." Sayaka's eyes widened. "You mean she was..."

"She got left behind," Hikari said, choking down tears. "She got left behind in one of the buildings that didn't go underground and... we found her a day later, trapped in the rubble."

"Is she...?"

"She's in intensive care. The doctors don't know if she's going to be alright or not. They told us we'd have to 'wait and see'." Hikari laughed hollowly. "Yeah, 'wait and see'. My little sister might die in a hospital and I've just got to 'wait and see'."

"I'm... I'm sorry," Sayaka said. "I..."

"Don't tell me you're sorry," Hikari spat. "I don't need you to pity me or her, that won't help anyone. All I want to know is if it's worth it. Is your end goal - or the one of whoever you work for - really that important?"

"I..."

"Don't lie," Hikari said. "Don't you dare lie to me. I want to know the truth. Is. This. Really. Worth. It?"

"I..." Sayaka glanced at her feet. "I... don't know, Horaki," she said. "I wish I could tell you otherwise but I-"

It was at that point that Hikari punched her in the face.

* * *

><p>"Ikari?" Mami said, approaching the girl, who was lying in the hallway outside her classroom.<p>

"Hey Tomoe," Sayaka replied.

"What happened, are you alright?"

"Sorry," Sayaka said, propping herself up on one arm. "Apparently Horaki's little sister got hurt in the fight a few weeks ago."

"_She_ hit you?" Mami asked, surprised.

"Yeah."

"I've never seen Horaki get angry enough to hit someone before," Mami said, reaching out for Sayaka's hand, her still-new prosthetic arm glistening silver in the sunlight filtering through the window. "Is her sister alright?"

"She's in a hospital," Sayaka said accepting Mami's help to stand. "I'm not sure how bad it is, but it sounded pretty bad."

Mami nodded, her gaze wandering to the window, out toward the city. "Things happen. You couldn't have avoided it."

Sayaka sighed. "Yeah, I know. That doesn't change the fact that it's still partially my fault, or that the class representative blames me for it."

"It's not fun, is it?" Mami asked.

"It never was, Tomoe."

Mami nodded. "It's happened," she said, jolting Sayaka out of her daze. "I just got the call. Another Angel is approaching."

Sayaka stared out at the city. Sure enough, a siren started roaring somewhere far off, and was soon joined by more, closer to the school. "Well..." Sayaka said, smiling weakly. "This is it then?"

Mami didn't smile. "Let's go," she said, and turned away from Sayaka.

"Yeah. Let's go," Sayaka said. She tried to smile, but she found that she couldn't. If she was wrong, if she made a mistake, if she failed again... well, things were going to get a lot worse than one girl in critical condition. "It's time to end this."

* * *

><p>Author's note: There's a reason this chapter is so short, and you're not going to like it.<p>

Hey everyone, sorry I haven't been updating much... at all, really.

School came up a lot, as have several other stories that have come and gone. I'd planned a move to Archive Of Our Own (AO3, for those who are fans of acronyms) for a long time now, and recently I received my invite. In addition, another fic has taken up much of my time, which I'll be posting here, as well as there, possibly. I don't know when I'll be updating NGMM next. Honestly, much of the enthusiasm I had for it is waning due to the lack of interest I've been able to generate from friends and such. Not that I don't want to entertain you guys, don't get me wrong, but it's a hard story to write and there are other roads I have opportunity to take.

That said, if there's anyone out there who wants to take over this fic, that's fine. Just send me a message and we can figure something out. If not, I will still continue it, and may do so regardless, but if there turn out to be more fans than I'm predicting then I don't want to disappoint them.

I've got plans for this story, and I certainly don't want all the effort and thought I've put into it to go to waste. It's just that other subjects are demanding my attention and sacrifices have to be made. If this ever gets finished, it'll probably be my finest work. If not... well, it'll just be me rambling on the internet. Sort of like what I'm doing now.

You can find me on AO3 as thegameEnforcer. It's fairly likely that anything I write from now is is going to appear there and here, but I can't promise anything. Thanks for reading, guys.

-Fred.


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